Consider the following special provisions with respect to Maharashtra under Article 371 of the Constitution: 1. The provisions were added through the 7th Constitutional Amendment. 2. It provides for establishment of separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan and the rest of Maharashtra. 3. It provides for a report on the working of these boards to be placed before the Parliament. Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

Solution

• Statement 1 is correct: 7th Constitutional Amendment provided special provisions for Maharashtra and Gujarat. Article 371 originally contained “temporary provisions with respect to state in Part B of the first schedule”. • Statement 2 is incorrect: It provides for establishment of separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada and the rest of Maharashtra. It also provides for separate development boards for Saurashtra, Kutch and the rest of Gujarat. • Statement 3 is incorrect: The report on the working of these boards is placed every year before the State Legislative Assembly.