Maha CM annoyed over MPSC plea in apex court on Maratha quota

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over thestate public service commission filing an intervention plea inthe Supreme Court which goes against the stand taken by thegovernment with regard to the Maratha quota implementation.

The issue figured in the weekly cabinet meeting whereThackeray, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and severalministers expressed their anger at the Maharashtra PublicService Commission (MPSC) filing the application withoutconsulting the government, sources said.

Thackeray has ordered a probe into the matter which hefelt shows bureaucrats were trying to put the Shiv Sena-ledMVA government in a spot over a sensitive matter, they said.

The application of MPSC came to notice on Wednesdaywhen the quota case came up for hearing in the Supreme Court,the sources said.

The 2018 Maratha quota law is pending in the SupremeCourt where its constitutional validity has been challenged.

As per the intervention application of MPSC, it wantedthe apex court to permit revision of the final result andmerit list of all recruitment process that concluded afterNovember 30, 2018, when the Maratha quota law was enacted.

The commission has also sought permission to issuecorrigendum to advertise.

The plea sought SC nod to file additional documentslike the Government Resolution (GR) of December 23, 2020,where the benefit of economically weaker section (EWS) quotawas given to Marathas provided they do not opt for reservationunder the socially and educationally backward class (SEBC)category.

The sources said MPSC has been directed not to raisethe issue of their application as its contents were contraryto the stand of the state government during the next hearingin the apex court.

Earlier in the day, the SC said it would decide onFebruary 5 the schedule of hearing on the pleas pertaining tothe 2018 Maharashtra law granting reservation to Marathas ineducation and jobs after the state government said a case ofthis nature be heard once physical hearing commences.

On December 9 last year, the apex court had said thatissues pertaining to the quota law requires urgent hearingas the legislation has been stayed and the fruits accruedare not reaching to the people.

The apex court on September 9, while referring to alarger bench the batch of pleas challenging the validity oflaw, had stayed the implementation of the legislation but madeit clear that status of those who have availed of the benefitswould not be disturbed.

The Bombay High Court, while upholding the law in June2019, had held that 16 per cent reservation was notjustifiable and said that quota should not exceed 12 per centin employment and 13 per cent in admissions.