Maharashtra Assembly approves bill proposing 16 per cent Maratha quota in jobs and education
Mumbai, Nov 29: Maharashtra Assembly Thursday unanimously passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation for Marathas under socially and educationally backward category.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who tabled the bill, thanked Opposition members for helping in passage of the bill unanimously.
The bill provides for reservation of seats for admission in educational institutions and posts in public services to Marathas who have been declared as socially and educationally backward class of citizens.
Earlier, Fadnavis also tabled the action taken report (ATR) on the State Backward Class Commission's (SBCC) recommendations for reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and education.
He also tabled the recommendations of the SBCC's report on social, educational and financial status of the Maratha community.
Marathas have been declared as socially and educationally backward class of citizens (SEBC) and have inadequate representation in services under the state, the panel report said.
They are entitled to reservation benefits and advantages enshrined in the Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution, it said.
The panel had suggested that looking at exceptional circumstances and extra-ordinary situations generated on declaring Marathas as socially and educationally backward and their consequential entitlement to reservation benefits, the government may take appropriate decision within constitutional provision to address the emerging scenario in the state.
The Bill to provide for reservation of seats for admission in educational institutions and posts in public services in the state was tabled thereafter.
The Maratha community, which comprises over 30 per cent of the state's population, has been seeking reservation in government jobs and education for a long time. Their stir for the same in July and August this year had taken a violent turn.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
