Urge Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for immediate action
Special Correspondent
Panaji: Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar on Wednesday said that the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in Goa is moving ahead with patience regarding political reservation, but warned that if the government declares it is not possible, they will decide on their future course of action.
Expressing hope that the reservation would be granted before the 2027 assembly elections, Tawadkar appealed to the community members for patience.
The minister shared these remarks after leading a delegation of tribal leaders to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss the political reservation issue. The meeting was prompted by the expiration of a 15-day deadline set by the Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa (MPRSTG).
The MPRSTG had given both, the state and the central governments 15 days to issue a final notification on ST political reservation and had urged authorities to direct the Election Commission of India to complete the process.
During the meeting, the delegation sought an update on the matter and urged the Chief Minister to take up the issue again with Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah. Tawadkar said that the Chief Minister assured them that efforts would be expedited.
Priol MLA Govind Gaude, who was also a part of the delegation, said that they requested the Chief Minister to follow up on the related assurance previously given by Amit Shah. Pointing out that continuous follow-up is essential for progress, Gaude emphasised that the ST community has been fighting for its constitutional right for the last 23 years, adding that only time will tell whether they need to exert pressure.
While Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar did not give a clear response on the issue, he said that even major issues can be resolved through dialogue.
Meanwhile, ST leader and United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) president Prakash Velip said that if the government notifies the date for the ST Political Reservation Act, the process can be completed within three months. Velip said that they remain hopeful, noting that the Chief Minister has indicated a 100% possibility of resolving the issue.
