Inclusion of castes in OBC group: HC seeks Maha response on PIL

Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Wednesday sought to know if the Maharashtra government had conducted any study or survey before issuing a notification in 1967 inducting several castes in the OBC category for reservation.

A division bench of Chief Justice NH Patil and Justice N M Jamdar was hearing a PIL filed by activist B A Sarate challenging the inclusion of several castes in the OBC group.

Sarate's counsel V M Thorat told the HC that out of the 96 castes included in the OBC category, nearly 40 per cent were not even eligible for reservation. "Inclusion of these castes is unconstitutional. There is a procedure laid down while deciding which caste should be included in a particular category for reservation. The government is not following this procedure," Thorat said.

The bench then sought to know if the government had carried out any study or survey before issuing the Government Resolution in 1967 inducting a particular caste in the OBC category.