Barely literate employee found conducting survey for Maratha quota; video goes viral

An employee of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation who has studied upto only Class 1 was found to be collecting information as part of the survey that has been launched to establish the backwardness of the Maratha community.After a video showing his incompetence went viral, he was relieved of the survey duty, said an official.The Maharashtra government is conducting the survey to collect data for justifying reservations in jobs and education for the Marathas, and has roped in 1.4 lakh employees as the exercise is to be completed by month-end.

An employee of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation who has studied upto only Class 1 was found to be collecting information as part of the survey that has been launched to establish the backwardness of the Maratha community.

After a video showing his incompetence went viral, he was relieved of the survey duty, said an official.

The Maharashtra government is conducting the survey to collect data for justifying reservations in jobs and education for the Marathas, and has roped in 1.4 lakh employees as the exercise is to be completed by month-end. A viral video showed one such enumerator, named Manoj, being asked by respondents whether he had received any training.

He replied that he was a helper with the electrical department, and though he received training, he did not have much knowledge about the task as he has studied only up to Class 1.

He did not even know how to use a smartphone and was taking the help of a youth, he said. The enumerators, notably, are using an app while collecting information.

When contacted, assistant commissioner (administration) Meher Lahare said the employee has been since taken off the survey duty.

''When we gave training, he did not refuse. After receiving training, he carried out survey at 30 to 40 houses. If he was facing difficulties, he should have complained to his supervisor. We have replaced him now,'' the official told PTI. With Maratha activist Manoj Jarange set to start a fresh agitation over the quota demand in Mumbai from Friday, the government is under pressure to complete the survey.