Maha flouted commission act by avoiding to table report, alleges Oppn

The opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress (NCP) party members in both Assembly and Council House targeted ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over avoiding tabling the report of State Backward Class Commission (SBCC) over Maratha quota. Ajit Pawar, NCP group leader alleged the government is trying to hide something and hence not ready to table the report. Whereas, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan of Congress alleged the state is flouting provisions in SBCC by denying to table the report.

Both the House witnessed ruckus over Maratha quota issue. The council House

There is provision in the State Backward Class Commission Act-2005 under section 15 that, it is mandatory to place the Commission report before the assembly - PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN, Former CM

was adjourned till Wednesday, whereas the assembly reassembled in the afternoon, after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed opposition to join the debate on drought. Before that, the assembly was adjourned for twice in the morning. Pawar, who was aggressive over the issue, however, said that the government wants to hide something which is why it is not ready to place the report before the house. “Let us know what is there in the report and we shall help you to get the bill cleared without debate,” he offered.

Leader of opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil argued the Other Backward Class (OBC) community is puzzled due to the stand of government to hide the report and hence the government needs to make the report public. Chavan said, “There is provision in the State Backward Class Commission Act-2005 under section 15 that, it is mandatory to place the Commission report before the assembly.”

He further added, a government gazette published on August 14, 2006, stated, the state will put the report of the Commission with recommendations and Action Taken Report (ATR) will be placed in the assembly as early as possible. Apart from that, the state will also place the recommendations which were rejected with the reason behind it to the assembly.

“Despite that, the Fadnavis government is running away from tabling the report,” Chavan alleged. Fadnavis, however, argued that there is no mandate to table the report in the House. He blamed, “The previous Congress-NCP government in the state had not tabled 47 out of total 52 accepted by them,” said Fadnavis.