“Positive Steps for Implementing Scheduled Tribe Reservation for the Dhangar Community” – Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Mumbai : Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced today that positive efforts will be made to ensure that the Dhangar community receives reservation under the Scheduled Tribe category. He emphasized that the entire process would adhere to legal frameworks and assured that no other community would face injustice as a result.

In light of the ongoing agitation for Scheduled Tribe reservation for the Dhangar community, a delegation from the Sakal Dhangar Jamat Coordinating Committee held a meeting with Chief Minister Shinde at the Sahyadri State Guest House.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister contacted the fasting protestors by phone and addressed their concerns.

State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Dr. I. S. Chahal, Secretary of the Tribal Development Department Vijay Waghmare, and Secretary of the Social Justice Department Ganesh Patil were present. Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Minister Atul Save and Principal Secretary Vinita Ved-Singhal attended the meeting via video conference.

Chief Minister Shinde acknowledged that the demand for Scheduled Tribe reservation for the Dhangar community has been pending for many years and that its implementation must follow the legal procedures. He assured the delegation that immediate follow-up would be initiated at the secretary level and that consultations with the State Advocate General and the Law and Justice Department would be held. The Chief Minister further instructed that urgent action be taken regarding other community demands, with the active involvement of the secretaries from the tribal development department and other relevant departments, alongside members of the coordination committee.

The Chief Minister also directed the Sudhakar Shinde Committee, which was established to study the implementation of Scheduled Tribe reservation for the Dhangar community, to submit its report as soon as possible. Dr. Shinde provided an update on the committee’s work.

On this occasion, MLA Gopichand Padalkar, former MP Vikas Mahatme, former MLA Sarveshree Prakash Shendge, and several others, including Ramhari Rupanwar, Ramrao Vadkute, Pandurang Meregal, Vijay Goffane, Pankaj Devkate, and Madhu Shinde of the coordinating committee, raised various issues. Former Minister Mahadev Jankar, along with committee members Anil Zhore, Subhash Mhaske, Biru Kolekar, Prashant Ghodke, Dr. J. P. Baghel, And. MA Pachpol, Bhimrao Satpute, Ravi Satpute, and Deepak Patil were also present at the meeting.