NT Reporter
Panaji
Despite the issues of the Scheduled Tribe community of Goa being a central topic of discussion over the last few months, it has been shockingly revealed that the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) has not met since 2022-23. This means the council has been effectively defunct for the past three years.
The primary purpose of a TAC, constituted under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India, is to advise the Governor on matters concerning the welfare and advancement of Scheduled Tribes. The council plays a crucial role in ensuring that policies and programmes are tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of tribal communities. It also plays a key role in the utilisation of funds allocated under the tribal
sub-plan.
In a reply tabled during the recently concluded monsoon session of the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that no meetings of the Tribal Advisory Council were held for the years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25. The council was constituted on April 28, 2021.
With clear guidelines mandating the council to meet at least once a year, the government’s lethargy has been exposed by its failure to hold a single meeting in over three years.
While the government constituted the council, no attempt has been made yet to notify any Scheduled Areas under the same schedule.
