Lekha G –
A committee constituted by the Maharashtra Government under retired Chief Justice Dilip Bhosale to study Supreme Court judgment quashing Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota for Maratha Community has recommended the State to file a review petition in Supreme Court.
The Committee submitted its 570-page report to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, ahead of the deadline June 7 and recommended filing a review petition in the Supreme Court on more than 40 legal points.
According to the panel, the Supreme Court had not considered the 103rd constitutional amendment and that until the Apex Court made a decision on the validity of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota, it was not appropriate to use 50 per cent ceiling rule to invalidate the Maratha quota.
The Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan, who heads a cabinet sub-committee on Maratha quota said, “When the case was being heard, the Centre did not utter a word on how some states had crossed the cap can also get affected…the Centre must take a decision soon.”
The Supreme Court on May 5 had struck down a law that allotted Maratha quota in jobs and education under SEBC in Maharashtra.
Subsequently, the State Government formed an eight-member committee on May 11 to study the verdict and make recommendations so that the State Government can better pursue the case in the Top Court.