16 per cent reservation to Marathas: High Court to hear PILs on September 30

The Bombay high court on Thursday fixed September 30, to hear public interest litigations against as well as in favour of the Maharashtra government’s decision to provide 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in jobs and educational institutions.

Vinod Patil, an intervener in the matter, had mentioned the matter before the division bench of Justice Anoop Mohta seeking expeditious hearing on the issue. Following this, the bench posted the matter for hearing on September 30.

Earlier this month, Patil had approached the Supreme Court requesting it to give directives for early disposal of pleas on Maratha reservation pending with the high court. The petition was filed after the high court had refused to hear the petition on priority basis. However, the apex court asked the petitioner to approach the high court for the same, which he mentioned in the petition filed at the high court.

In December 2014, the high court had stayed the decision to grant reservation in response to PILs filed by former scribe Ketan Tirodkar and others. The stay is still in operation. Tirodkar’s PIL contended that the decision to term the Maratha community as socially and educationally backward is a “fraud” committed upon the country and its Constitution.

The Congress-NCP government in 2014 had announced reservation for the Marathas, a politically dominant community. It had also provided 5 per cent reservation to the Muslims. The PIL has only challenged the reservation for Marathas. As per the PIL, the Maratha community owns around 75 per cent land in the state.