The opposition parties and the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) are not amused with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's announcement to allot 16 per cent of the 72,000 new posts in various state departments to candidates from the Maratha community in the form of backlog. This does not translate to the community's demand, which is for 16 per cent seat reservation in educational institutes as well as for government jobs. The state recruitment will be done in two phases, with each including 36,000 posts, but only if the Bombay High Court allows the quota for the community. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party blasted the BJP-led government for the delay in providing 16 per cent quota in jobs and education to the Maratha community. They observed that Thursday's announcement has no meaning unless and until the reservation in posts is granted to the Maratha community legally. Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Radhkrishna Vikhe-Patil, said Thursday's announcement will not help the Maratha community to get benefits of quota as the court decision is pending. Leader of opposition in the state council Dhananjay Munde demanded that the government keep aside 16 per cent posts for the Maratha community from the proposed recruitment of 72,000 posts and fill them up. However, MKM leader Vinod Patil, who has been pursuing a legal battle against the state government over the quota for Maratha community, claimed that Fadnavis's assurance was yet another gimmick and it would not stand the test of law. MKM, which took out 58 silent morchas last year across the state, has revived its stir by organising a sit-in protest. The outfit has turned down state revenue minister Chandrakant Patil's proposal for a dialogue. "The government should stop taking the carrot-and-stick approach and take a formal decision on the quota," Patil said. 'IT'S A GIMMICK'

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