Will Action Be Taken Against Those Misusing Reservation Benefits?

Mumbai, July 11 (NationPress) Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared in the state Assembly that measures will be enforced against individuals who convert to different faiths contrary to the Supreme Court's ruling and exploit reservation privileges.

In response to a motion initiated by MLA Gopichand Papalkar and others about the topic of coerced conversions, the chief minister emphasized that the Supreme Court mandates individuals receiving reservation benefits to remain in their original religions.

CM Fadnavis noted that coercive or deceptive conversion is a crime, asserting that legislation addressing forced conversions needs to become more stringent. A committee, led by the state's Director General of Police, was established to address this issue, and their findings have been submitted to the government for further action.

“The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals must remain in the religion from which they receive reservation benefits. The government is committed to adhering to this ruling. There are instances of reservation benefits being misappropriated, and the government will uphold the Supreme Court's directive in these cases,” stated the chief minister.

Regarding a specific incident in Sangli related to forced conversion, the chief minister mentioned that the implicated religious leader has been granted anticipatory bail. An appeal will be lodged, and police personnel will be interrogated for any delays in filing the case. Additional actions will be taken pending a report from the Special Investigation Committee on conversion incidents in the Pune district within a month.

In another matter, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule informed the state Assembly about the acquisition of 85.40 hectares of land for the Kushivali dam in Ulhasnagar, Thane district. Compensation has been allocated, with Rs 19.84 crore declared for 72 survey numbers, and Rs 11.44 crore distributed across 25 survey numbers. A demand for Rs 10.10 crore will be submitted to the Water Resources Department for the remaining 23 survey numbers. The government is optimistic about providing higher compensation to affected farmers.

Member Kisan Kathore raised a query on farmer compensation concerning the land for the Kushivali Dam.

Minister Bawankule revealed that a retired Naib Tehsildar had embezzled funds related to 23 survey numbers using fraudulent documents. Legal action has been initiated against him, with recovery measures underway against his private property. The previous sub-divisional officer failed to verify the necessary documents before disbursing compensation. A total of 51 individuals have been arrested related to this case.

A meeting will be convened with relevant authorities to discuss increasing farmer compensation. The minister noted that amendments to the Land Acquisition Act may be required to ensure that the rates at the time of acquisition are applied when procuring agricultural land for projects, following appropriate verification.