Caste-based censuses should be carried out by the Maharashtra Government: Nana Patole

In the state house on Thursday, former assembly speaker and Congress lawmaker Mr. Nana Patole asked that the Shinde Fadnavis administration perform a case-by-case census in Maharashtra, much like other state governments. "A caste-wise census is required to address the issues facing OBCs, but it is not being carried out by the central government." Caste-based censuses are being carried out by some state administrations. Like other state administrations, the Maharashtra government ought to undertake a caste-based census," he remarked.

 

"A caste-wise census will be conducted on January 8, 2020, according to a resolution that was unanimously enacted when I served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The nation's first state to adopt one of these resolutions was Maharashtra. Following that, similar resolutions were enacted in other states. In the assembly today, I demanded a caste-based census; however, the minister did not react on the government's behalf. Is the BJP administration anti-OBC then?" he questioned.

 

After numerous requests, the legislative affairs minister, Mr. Chandrakant Patil, informed the assembly that the government had taken note of Mr. Patole's demand, but he held back on saying that the state government will conduct a caste-based census. Days after Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, the state's Deputy Chief Minister who oversees the Planning and Finance Departments, stated that the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will not be reinstated, Mr. Patole renewed his call for its implementation in Maharashtra. The Congress party believes that the old pension plan should be reinstated.

 

"Recently, the Congress government has arrived in Himachal Pradesh, and this system is also being implemented there," he noted. Our leader Rahul Gandhi has also backed the old pension scheme, which has been implemented in the states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh that are run by Congress. Mr. Patole stated that the BJP government in Maharashtra is not adopting the old pension plan due to the significant financial burden it would have on the state exchequer. "Why is there no money to pay the pension as per the old pension programme to the government employees?" he questioned, pointing out that the BJP administration has money to provide to industrialists.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @NANA_PATOLE