Maharashtra Forms Panel Of Five Lawyers for Coordination On Maratha Quota
The Supreme Court's Constitution bench will hear the state government's petition on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.
The Maharashtra government has set up a coordination committee of five lawyers in connection with the hearing on lifting of interim stay on the Maratha quota, which will be heard by a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court.
As per the state's demand for vacation of the interim stay on Maratha reservation, the top court's Constitution bench will hear the government's petition on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m., state PWD Minister Ashok Chavan, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha quota, said this in a statement issued on Saturday.
"If members of the Maratha community, historians, researchers wish to give suggestions, they should communicate with this coordination committee of lawyers. It will study the suggestions and forward them to the government lawyers appearing in court," he said.
The Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of Maharashtra's 2018 law in September this year. The law — Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act — granted 16% quota to the Maratha community.
The government had filed an application seeking vacation of the apex court's stay amid protests from pro-quota organisations. The Bombay High Court, while upholding the law, had earlier said 16% reservation was not justified and that the quota shouldn't exceed 12% in jobs and 13% in admissions to educational institutions.
The Supreme Court had said appeals challenging the high court order were required to be considered by a larger bench. Accordingly, the hearing will now take place before a five-judge Constitution bench.