Gov returns quota ordinance in Maha

Koshyari tells MVA govt to inform SC

The Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA) government on Wednesday decided to resend the ordinance to Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for OBC reservation in the local bodies. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The state is of view that they are providing up to 27 per cent reservation to the community and will not also breach the 50 per cent cap mandated by the Supreme Court. Therefore, there is no need to take permission from the SC.

The Maharashtra governor has returned the OBC ordinance to the state government without signing it.

He further sent his queries. Rural development Minister Hasan Mushrif said the governor has asked the state government to inform the SC about the ordinance. After the state cabinet approved it last week, the MVA government had sent the ordinance to the governor for his approval.

A senior official from the chief minister office (CMO) said that the Cabinet has approved to resend the ordinance as it is within the limit set by the Supreme Court order. Hence, the government does not need to take permission from the SC.

“In the last cabinet meeting, when we asked the secretary of law and judiciary department, he advised that the SC can be informed about the ordinance after getting approval from the governor,” the rural development minister said.

On March 4, the Supreme Court scrapped the political reservation of OBCs which was extending beyond the 50% mark. The review petition filed by the State government was quashed in May.