Promises not fulfilled: Maratha leaders

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government may have been restrained by a high court order on its decision to give reservation for Marathas, but it has also not followed up on other promises made to the community and that has led to the currentwave of protests, say Maratha leaders.

In August last year, after the community led mammoth silent rallies throughout the state, the state government announced sops like a 50% concession in fees for Maratha students pursuing higher and professional studies, skill training for poor students and hostel facilities in every district. The government claimed that with this, the community would get the same benefits that OBCs get if they were included under the reservation.

The Bombay High Court had earlier stayed the state’s decision to provide 16% reservation to Marathas.


While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a statement saying that 2 lakh Maratha students got admission under the subsidised education policy, and that the state was following up on other promises and ready to address any shortcomings, community leaders questioned the government’s commitment to meet the promises.

“The 50% less fees that were supposed to be charged was just an announcement,” said Raghunath Chitre Patil, a Maratha leader. “When we go to colleges or other educational institutions, they say that they have not got any such instructions and ask us to pay the complete fees. The colleges claim they will refund us once the government pays them the money. This brings us back to square one.”