Maharashtra Dy Speaker Zirwal questions need for inclusion of Dhangars in ST category for reservations

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Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Monday questioned the need to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, a day after the state government announced a panel to resolve the issue of their reservations, news agency PTI reported. Currently, the community is classified as a Nomadic Tribe.

Dhangars are a shepherd community from western Maharashtra and the Marathwada region, have been demanding inclusion in ST category. The community claims that it has been deprived of the quota as the Centre's database has no mention of Dhangar but instead identifies Dhangad as part of STs.

On September 15, Chief Minister (CM's) Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting with the representatives of the Dhangar community, following which the state government announced that it would be forming a panel comprising three Indian Administrative Officers (IAS) officers to establish that 'Dhangar' and 'Dhangad' are different names of the same community.

Talking to reporters, Zirwal, a leader of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said, "There is no opposition to Dhangars getting the benefits of reservations. But why include them in the ST category? We should have been invited to the meeting held on Sunday. We would have presented our side. The government can give them separate benefits, but there is no need to include them in our group."

Zirwal said ministers and senior leaders of the ST community should have been invited to the meeting.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Dhangar community said, "There is a small percentage of reservation for the NT group, and the Dhangar community is spread across the states and has a significant presence in Maharashtra. The inclusion of Dhangars in the ST category will benefit more students and job aspirants."

On September 15, Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai announced that the government would form a panel comprising three IAS officers and five representatives from the Dhangar community.

The panel will study the existing data and prepare a draft note, which will be sent to the Advocate General to ensure that there are no legal hurdles in the future before passing an order declaring 'Dhangar' and 'Dhangad' as the same community, said Desai, a leader of the Shiv Sena.

(With PTI inputs)