Pune: The state government needs more time to grant reservation, which will stand legal scrutiny, to the Maratha community, state excise minister Shambhuraj Desai said on Sunday.The state government is committed to give reservation but we want it to be legally sound. The process for drafting the same is underway. Hence, it will take some more time, he said while addressing reporters.Desai, who is also a member of the sub-committee for the Marathas, said a meeting of the group, which is scheduled for Monday, will take the process forward. Jaranges demand will be addressed at the earliest. The process to cross-verify Nizam-era Kunbi certificates is underway. A committed, constituted under a retired high court judge, is overseeing the process. The state government has also reached out to its Telangana counterpart over the issue. Since the new government took over, a total of 23 meetings have been held over the issue over the past one year, the excise minister said.Desai said the government is ready to call a special session of the Assembly over the issue. The government is ready for interactions with Jaranage. While declaring his hunger strike, he appealed politicians should not be allowed into villages. So, we have not approached him yet, Desai said.Speaking on the Shiv Sena MLAs disqualification case, Desai said the government is stable and there is no threat to chief minister Eknath Shindes post. The 40 MLas will not be disqualified, he added.We also published the following articles recentlyMaratha reservation: Meeting of Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee tomorrowThe Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee will meet on Monday to discuss providing reservation to the Maratha community. The committee will submit a report on the progress made so far, and will discuss the process of granting Maratha-Kunbi, Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates. Manoj Jarange Patil, a coordinator for the Maratha Morcha, has been on a hunger strike demanding reservation for the community and a change in the governments ordinance.Inaction by Central and Maharashtra governments on Maratha quota issue caused unrest in community: PawarNationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has criticized the Maharashtra and Central governments for their inaction on the Maratha quota issue, claiming that it has caused unrest in the community. Pawar stated that the demands of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange should be met without compromising the interests of other communities. The Maratha community has been protesting for reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes category. Jarange has announced that fast-unto-death protests will be initiated in villages across Maharashtra if the government does not address their demands.Two clubs decline government puja award over process, NREGS duesTwo major Durga Puja clubs in Kolkata, Tala Prattoy and Kalyanis Luminous Club, have declined the governors Durga Ratna award. The Kolkata club questioned the selection process, while the Kalyani club requested that the governor focus on releasing NREGS dues to the poor instead. The governors office has not responded to these refusals. The Durga Ratna award includes a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and was awarded to four clubs in total.

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