Mumbai, Jan 27 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation issue, on Tuesday directed officials to speed up the processing of the Kunbi caste certificate applications of Maratha community members in all eight districts of Marathwada region.
A government resolution was issued in September 2025, based on the Hyderabad Gazetteer, following which applications for certificates have been received across Marathwada, which comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Dharashiv and Parbhani districts.
An official release said Vikhe Patil instructed that steps must be taken to ensure that no application remains pending and officials should work actively at the village level to clear cases.
Chairing a meeting of the Maratha Reservation Sub-Committee at the Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai, Vikhe Patil said clear government orders have been issued for granting Maratha Kunbi caste and validity certificates, and the process should be carried out strictly as per the resolution.
He also directed divisional commissioners to regularly review the progress made by the district administrations.
The meeting was attended by Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, former judge Sambhaji Shinde and senior officials. Divisional Commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Jitendra Papalkar and collectors of all eight Marathwada districts joined the meeting through virtual mode.
Sambhaji Shinde, who has been appointed to decide the methodology to issue OBC certificates to Marathas, will visit districts in Marathwada to guide officials and help speed up the distribution of certificates.
Vikhe Patil said the number of applications processed and certificates issued after September 2025 remains low and needs to be increased.
Chandrakant Patil said students from the Maratha community are receiving educational benefits and called for better coordination between departments for scholarships and fee reimbursements. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse asked officials to immediately process pending applications and remove procedural gaps.
Officials also presented the current status of certificate distribution and said applications are being processed based on residence proof, family records and documents prior to 1967, the release said.
In September last year, the state government announced the formation of a committee to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with historical evidence of their Kunbi heritage, a social group classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the state.
The Kunbi is a traditional farming community in the state and its members have been included in the list of OBC category in Maharashtra in order to make them eligible for government reservations in jobs and education. PTI MR NP
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