NT Reporter
Curchorem
A group of elected representatives from Sanguem constituency on Saturday clarified that they are not opposed to the proposed reservation of the Sanguem assembly constituency for Scheduled Tribes (STs), but insisted that any decision should be taken only after the completion of the census and delimitation exercise.
Addressing a press conference, former chairperson of Sanguem Municipal Council, Sangameshwar Naik, said that, “We want to clear our stand on the issue of reservation. We have no objection to Sanguem being reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The only demand is that the reservation process should be undertaken after the census and delimitation are completed.”
He argued that reservation should be based on updated demographic data rather than the 2011 census figures currently being relied upon.
“Once the census and delimitation exercises are completed, the population of different communities will be accurately reflected, enabling a fair decision on reservation,”
he said.
Naik added that memorandums outlining these concerns had already been submitted to Goa BJP president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Deputy sarpanch of Rivona panchayat Surya Naik echoed the demand, saying reservations based on outdated population figures may not accurately represent the current demographic reality.
“The reservations are being considered on the basis of the 2011 census. We believe a fresh census and delimitation process should be completed first so that reservation can be determined on the basis of updated population data,” he said.
He also called for a rotational system of reservation to ensure equitable representation for different communities over time.
Former Sanguem Municipal Council chairperson Santiksha Gadkar said that “our demands are: completion of the census, completion of delimitation, and implementation of a rotational reservation system.”
Others who attended the press conference and expressed similar views included Sanguem BJP block vice-president Sunetra Prabhu, former councillor Sayyed Iqbal, and Sada Dahifode, representing the Dhangar community.
