Maratha quota: Backward class commission's survey for Mumbai jurisdiction completed, BMC informs

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The survey by State Commission for Backward Classes on Maratha community and open categories, conducted in the backdrop of reservation for Maratha community has been completed in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed on Saturday.

The BMC said that the survey has been completed 100 percent during on February 1, which was started on January 23, 2024. The BMC had appointed approximately 30,000 of its 90,000 employees for this survey. The employees went door-to-door in all the departments (wards) of Mumbai during this period the civic body completed its survey with in the stipulated time, the press release from BMC said.

As per the directives of the State Backward Classes Commission, the survey was for assessing the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. "Around 30 thousand civic staff were employed to survey 38 lakh 79 thousand 46 houses in the BMC jurisdiction", said Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs), Dr. Sudhakar Shinde.

A special sophisticated software was prepared for the survey. There were 160 to 182 questions and the information of the Maratha community and the open category family was filled through the questionnaire about basic, family, economic, social, health etc. After the system got the information that the family belonged to the reserved category, no further information was taken about the family, said the BMC press release.

The BMC had appealed people to extend cooperation to the enumerators to complete the survey in the stipulated time. The BMC had earlier he also made it clear that taking part in the exercise was voluntary, and the data collected will remain completely safe.

Meanwhile, the state-wide survey being carried out by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) in connection with the Maratha quota was too expected end just before midnight on Friday.

In a letter to all district collectors and municipal commissioners on Thursday, the MSBCC said, "The software (APK) used for this survey will be shut at 2359 hours (11:59 pm) on Friday. There will not be any extension given to the survey. Thus, no such demand should be made".

The survey is being carried out to support the state government's curative petition filed in the Supreme Court in connection with the Maratha quota.

Earlier, on January 27, activist Manoj Jarange called off his indefinite fast for Maratha quota after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get reservation, they will be given all the benefits enjoyed by the Other Backward Classes (OBCs)

CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis are trying to assuage concerns of the OBCs, stating that Marathas would not get Kunbi caste certificate without any proof, and there will be no injustice to any community while granting reservation to Maratha community.