'Maha govt committed to reservation for Dhangar community'

Maharashtra government is committed to provide reservation to the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, the Legislative Council was informed today.
Revenue Minister and Leader of the House Chandrakant Patil, while speaking on an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition members, said that the state government has asked Tata Institute of Social Sciences to study the issue.
"As soon as we get a report from them, we will send a proposal to the Centre that the Dhangar (shepherd) community should be given reservation," Patil said.
"But, the Opposition members are not concerned with their reservation. They only want to play politics over the issue," he added.

Patil's comments caused an uproar in the Council with the Opposition members rushing to the Well of the House and shouting slogans against the government.
The commotion forced Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar to adjourn the House for 45 minutes.

Earlier, while raising the adjournment motion, Ramrao Wadkute (NCP) had claimed that the state government had falsely said that it had sent a proposal to the Centre over the issue.
"But it has come to light that there was no proposal sent to the Centre at all and the government is misleading the community. The government needs to clarify over the issue," he demanded.

"The government will be responsible if there is a law and order problem in the state due to the government's misleading stand," Wadkute said.