Allaying fears of industrialists over the issue of 52 per cent job reservations in the private sector, Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday said, "We are willing to discuss the matter with the captains of industry."
"We are open to the objections raised by the industrial sector and the government's efforts are that the investment in the state is not affected," Shinde told reporters after his meeting with a Confederation of Indian Industry-delegation, headed by its president Anand Mahindra.
If the legislation, allowing 52 per cent job quotas to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, is causing inconvenience to investors and industrialists, "then the government is open for it," Shinde said, without elaborating.
The chief minister held a meeting with the representatives of the CII after the industry body questioned the contentious legislation.
Justifying the legislation over job quotas, Shinde said: "It was aimed at providing reservations in industries having government equity of 51 per cent."
However, he said the government was willing to remove the word "license" from the legislation.
Asked about CII's response, the chief minister said: "They were positive and we will be discussing the matter in detail again."
Maharashtra continues to be number one state in industrial development, he said, adding that concerns of the industry would be taken into consideration before framing rules and actual implementation of the legislation.
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