A separate cell will be established to address the pending demands of the Maratha community, while a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for verifying Hyderabad Gazette records will also be prepared, the Maharashtra government announced following a meeting of the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee.
The meeting, chaired by Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, also decided to extend the tenure of the committee headed by Justice Sandeep Shinde. The discussions focused on assurances given by the state government to Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil during his agitation.
According to Vikhe Patil, the government has already made available the 5.8 million Kunbi records identified by the Justice Shinde Committee. Citizens will be able to inspect these records and obtain certified copies whenever required. The government has also approved a special drive for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates and caste validity certificates.
To streamline related work, a dedicated cell is expected to become operational within the next month. The government is simultaneously drafting a separate SOP for the use and verification of Hyderabad Gazette records in tracing historical documents linked to the Maratha reservation issue.
Officials, including divisional commissioners and district collectors, have been directed to expedite the process. The government warned that strict action would be taken against any officials found negligent in carrying out the work. Taluka- and village-level committees will be activated to accelerate the search for Kunbi records.
As part of the new measures, tehsildars will review the progress of these committees every fortnight. They have also been instructed to conduct village visits on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month and submit inquiry reports.
The government further announced plans to strengthen the SARTHI institution, appoint experts to translate records written in the Modi script into Marathi, and provide additional financial support to the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation.
Meanwhile, officials informed the meeting that financial assistance of INR 10 lakh each has been disbursed to the families of 275 of the 306 people who died during the Maratha reservation movement. The remaining 31 families are expected to receive compensation within the next 15 days.