Maha CM meets Modi on Maratha quota

New Delhi Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and discussed issues related to the Maratha reservation, pending GST compensation and the proposed metro car shed in Kanjur. Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan accompanied Thackeray.

"Issues related to the Maratha reservation, metro car shed, GST compensation were discussed with the prime minister," Thackeray told reporters. He said the prime minister assured to look into the issues. The meeting lasted for an hour and a half, Pawar said. This is Thackeray's second visit to the national capital after taking over as the chief minister of the state in November 2019.

The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government wants to move the Metro car shed to Kanjur. The state and the Centre both claim the land as theirs. The matter is currently pending with court. The previous Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government had decided to construct the Metro car shed in Aarey, but the move came under opposition from environmentalists. After assuming office, the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation announced the decision to shift the car shed to Kanjur. Since then the site for the car shed has become contentious.

Pawar, who is also the Finance Minister of Maharashtra, said issues pertaining to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation was also discussed in the meeting. Pawar said Maharashtra was expected to get approximately Rs 46,000 crore as GST compensation but it has only received Rs 22,000 crore. He said Maharashtra still has to receive Rs 24,306 crore. "The state is battling coronavirus pandemic and this will have an impact on its revenue and the compensation amount should be given at the earliest," Pawar said.

The Maratha reservation issue was on top of the agenda. The composition of the delegation assumes significance as it included two senior Maratha leaders - Pawar and Chavan. The Maratha is a dominant community in the state and it has been demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions. The state government came up with a law to provide reservation to the Maratha community, but it was struck down by court.