Cabinet sub-committee formed to placate OBCs

The chief minister is also expected to meet OBC leaders who are observing a chain hunger strike at Nagpur on Thursday

Mumbai: With multiple Other Backward Classes (OBC) leaders across party lines taking a strong stand against the government resolution (GR) to expedite granting of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government on Wednesday initiated efforts to placate the community by setting up a cabinet sub-committee to look into their grievances and ensure their welfare. The chief minister is also expected to meet OBC leaders who are observing a chain hunger strike at Nagpur on Thursday.

OBC groups staged a protest outside the Thane Collector's office on Wednesday. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

“We have formed a cabinet sub-committee for the OBC community, along the lines of the sub-committee formed for Marathas,” said deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. “The new sub-committee will work to resolve the issues of the OBC community.”

The OBC welfare department issued the GR regarding formation of the sub-committee and its terms of reference on Wednesday evening, after senior NCP leader and food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal took a rebellious stand against the government and boycotted the cabinet meeting. Bhujbal and several other OBC leaders are opposed to the decision to grant Kunbi certificates to Marathas based on the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes as they fear it will eat into their share of reservations.

Kunbis, a traditional farming community, are among 374 communities listed under the OBC category in Maharashtra, whereas Marathas do not enjoy any caste-based reservation. The state government had, on August 26 this year, formed a separate sub-committee to look into the demands of Marathas for reservation under the OBC quota, while the GR to expedite granting of Kunbi caste certificates to them was issued on Tuesday, capping five days of protest at Azad Maidan.

According to the GR issued by the OBC welfare department on Wednesday, the sub-committee for OBC welfare will be headed by senior BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The seven ministers named as members include food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, forest minister Ganesh Naik, water supply and sanitation minister Gulabrao Patil, soil and water conservation minister Sanjay Rathod, environment minister Panjaka Munde, OBC welfare minister Atul Save and agriculture minister Dattray Bharne.

The terms of reference of the sub-committee include examining all existing welfare schemes for OBCs and suggesting changes; suggesting measures to ensure appropriate OBC representation in government, semi-government and statutory bodies; suggesting measures for better coordination in court cases related to OBCs; deciding the process for implementing court decisions in favour of OBCs; and holding discussion with delegations and protestors regarding OBC issues, the GR states.

Meanwhile, chief minister Fadnavis is likely to meet Babanrao Taywade, president of the National OBC Mahasangh, on Thursday to convince him to withdraw the chain hunger strike underway at Nagpur for five days. The chain hunger strike was started a day after Manoj Jarange-Patil commenced his hunger strike at Azad Maidan on August 29.