HC chides Maha for job ad under Maratha quota

The Bombay High Court Monday chided the Maharashtra government for issuing an advertisement for job recruitment under the new legislation providing reservation to Maratha community even as petitions challenging the same are pending before the court.

The HC said such “irreverent situations” should be avoided and that the government should give courts some “breathing space” to hear the petitions.

A division bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Karnik asked the government why was it in such a rush to fill up the positions when it knew that petitions challenging the Maratha reservation decision were due for hearing on Monday.

The bench was hearing a bunch of petitions on the Maratha quota issue.

While few of the petitions challenged the government’s decision to provide 16% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the Maratha community, several others were filed in support of it.

Advocate Gunaratan Sadavarte, appearing in a petition challenging the legislation, pointed out to the court an advertisement issued by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission inviting applications for jobs. “Applications have also been invited under the newly introduced Socially and Educationally Backward Class for the Maratha community,” Sadavarte told court.

Senior counsel V A Thorat, appearing for the government, said only applications have been invited and that the final examination for the jobs will be held in July 2019. “The entire process of filling up the posts will take more than six months,” he said.

The court, however, sought to know why the govt was in such a rush to issue the advertisement.

MUMBAI: A DIVISION BENCH OF CHIEF JUSTICE NARESH PATIL AND JUSTICE M S KARNIK ASKED THE GOVERNMENT WHY WAS IT IN SUCH A RUSH TO FILL UP THE POSITIONS