MUMBAI, May 23 -- After Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced another indefinite hunger strike from May 30, the state government has assured him of a roadmap by May 28, on steps it will take to address his demands. This was discussed at a meeting between BJP MLC Prasad Lad, a close aide of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Jarange-Patil in Jalna on Friday. An agitation at this point would put considerable pressure on the government, which is attempting to contain unrest in parts of the state due to a fuel shortage ahead of the sowing seasons. The fallout of the NEET paper leak and consequent re-exam also has students worried. The government is therefore expected to persuade Jarange-Patil to defer his protest, if not altogether call if off, said sources in the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Jarange-Patil has announced an indefinite hunger strike in his village of Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district, nine months after a massive protest in Mumbai got the state to concede some ground relating to reservations for the Maratha community. He reminded Lad on Friday that assurances made in August last year had still not been implemented. "The state government issued government resolutions for the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette and for issuing Kunbi certificates to all Marathas, but the implementation process has lost pace. District-level officials claim they have instructions from the chief minister not to issue Kunbi certificates. Validity certificates are also not being issued to Maratha students, who have applied (for admission) on the basis of Kunbi certificates," he said. The admissions of over 6 million Maratha students will be jeopardised if OBC certificates are not issued to them in time, he claimed. Jarange-Patil also said cases registered against Maratha activists during the quota protests had not yet been withdrawn by the government. Also, the financial development corporation, which was to provide funding for entrepreneurial projects to the Maratha community, had not been allocated funds. He also demanded that the committee headed by retired judge Sandeep Shinde be given a one-year extension so that it could collate more Kunbi-related documents, enabling Marathas to avail the OBC quota. "Welcoming the government's initiative for dialogue, I apprised Lad about our pending eight to nine demands and expect them to be resolved before May 30. Lad assured me he would take up the issues with the cabinet sub-committee appointed for the Maratha quota and, if needed, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and get back to us by May 28. We have not withdrawn our protest call, and if the demands are not met, we will go ahead with the scheduled protest," he said. He added that since the government had reached out to him, he had asked community members to put their pre-protest meetings on hold. He said that the pause will likely affect the planning process and therefore he might have to begin the protest alone. Lad said he would discuss the unresolved demands with the government....