Maharashtra Cabinet Moves to Approve Historic Kunbi-Maratha Certificates

The Maharashtra cabinet has accepted the Justice Shinde committee's recommendations for issuing Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi certificates. The move aims to placate the Maratha community amid a backdrop of tension with other backward communities. The cabinet also approved major infrastructure projects including a revised proposal for the Thane Ring Metro project.

The Maharashtra cabinet has taken a significant step by accepting the second and third reports from the Justice Shinde committee, established to finalize the protocol for issuing Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi certificates based on historical records.

Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) segment in Maharashtra. With the assembly polls approaching, the cabinet, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, approved 38 proposals, including those aimed at enhancing road and metro rail infrastructure in Mumbai and its neighboring areas.

The Justice Sandeep Shinde (retd) committee had submitted its second report last December, but it had not been officially accepted until now. This latest acceptance is perceived as a strategic move to assuage the Maratha community's demands for inclusion in the OBC category, amid potential backlash from existing backward communities.

Additionally, the state cabinet green-lit a revised proposal worth Rs 12,200 crore for the Thane Ring Metro project and sanctioned a plan to raise Rs 15,000 crore through loans for the Thane-Borivali tunnel route, according to official statements.

The state government has ramped up its frequency of Cabinet meetings in anticipation of the forthcoming election schedule and the enforcement of the code of conduct. In the previous session held on September 23, the inclusion of three Kunbi sub-castes in the OBC category was ratified. Among the 24 decisions made, the continuation of a Rs 7 per liter subsidy for cow milk producers also stood out.

(With inputs from agencies.)