Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao told the state legislature on Monday that the state government was committed to address the demands of under-privileged communities "in due course of time".
The six-day budget session of the Maharashtra legislature began here on Monday.
The governor said, according to the recommendations of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, a law had been enacted to provide 16 per cent reservation to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in educational institutions and for direct recruitment in public services in the state.
He added that the law fulfilled the government's commitment for the welfare of the SEBC communities.
"The government is also committed to address the demands of under-privileged communities like Dhangar, Vadar, Parit, Kumbhar and Kolis in due course of time," Rao said.
The state government had decided to fill the vacant posts in 14 administrative departments, he pointed out.
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These include Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Health, Rural Development, School Education, Water Resources and Public Works departments among others.
Rao said the recruitment process was in progress according to the state's reservation policy, which includes a 16-per cent quota for SEBCs.
"My government is committed to implement the 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) as notified by the Union government," he said.
Referring to the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF jawans, Rao said the state government strongly condemned cross-corder terrorism and was committed to help the Centre in combating terrorism and secessionist activities.
Speaking on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, he said the state government was sensitive to the constitutional rights and privileges of the Marathi-speaking people residing in 865 villages, which the state had laid claim to.
"My government is continuing to take a firm stand on the matter which is pending in the Supreme Court," he told the House.
Rao said the work order for the Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial was issued in September, 2018 and all legal issues pertaining to its construction were being addressed to ensure scheduled completion.
The state received 76 per cent of the normal average rainfall during the last monsoon, though it got only 28 per cent rains in September, the lowest in the last 17 years, the governor said during his address.
Subsequent to this, the state government had declared drought in 151 talukas and 268 revenue circles, he said, adding that a drought-like situation was declared in 931 villages in 50 revenue circles.
The government was providing financial assistance to farmers to tide over the drought and had granted exemption in land revenue, restructuring of cooperative loans, stay on recovery of crop loans and a 33.5-per cent subsidy in current electricity bills for agricultural pumps, Rao said.
In this connection, he added that the government was also providing exemption in examination fees for school and college students, relaxation in norms of works under the Employment Guarantee Scheme, deploying water tankers and stopping disconnection of electricity supply to agricultural pumps.
To address the issue of fodder scarcity, the state government had sanctioned funds for fodder seeds and fertilisers to farmers on a 100-per cent subsidy basis and also planned to start fodder camps, the governor said.
He said the state government was planning to restart the water supply schemes in the drought-affected areas by paying the pending and current bills between November last year and June this year.