Panaji: The Goa Coalition for Women’s Reservation with Inclusion and Federalism has urged the state government to introduce a resolution in the forthcoming assembly session seeking immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in the Legislative Assembly.
The coalition launched a campaign seeking implementation of women’s reservation from the 9th Assembly elections itself. It said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech this year, expressed a keenness for immediate implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament and legislative assemblies.
“Take the cue from the Prime Minister’s speech and introduce a resolution in the Assembly,” the coalition said, adding that such a resolution could catalyse efforts at the Centre towards a relevant Constitutional amendment and enable women in Goa to benefit from one-third reservation without waiting for another five years.
To build an all-party consensus, coalition members have been meeting government representatives and MLAs from both ruling and opposition parties. They have so far met or communicated with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar, Minister for Youth Affairs and Tribal Welfare Ramesh Tawadkar, Minister for Women and Child Development and Public Health Vishwajit Rane, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Siolim BJP MLA Delilah Lobo and Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo.
The coalition said Alemao had also ensured the support of Congress and opposition MLAs.
Lobo is an ex-officio member of the Goa State Commission for Women.
Representations have also been submitted to Lok Sabha MPs Shripad Naik and Viriato Fernandes and emailed to Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade.
“Sawant and Rane have not yet been available for personal meetings and there has been no communication from their offices,” said the coalition. It said the other MLAs it had met had responded positively but expressed inability to take steps without a Private Members’ Day, as the Assembly session has been truncated to three days.
The coalition has made representations to the Speaker and Secretary Legislature on the issue and met them. It has also approached the Secretary Law to vet a draft resolution prepared by the coalition if the Chief Minister gives the go-ahead. The proposed resolution seeks immediate implementation of women’s reservation without linking it to the next decennial Census or delimitation.
It proposes one-third reservation based on the states’ existing seat share in Parliament, joint identification of seats by the government and Opposition, automatic application of future reservations and election funding for women from vulnerable and marginalised communities.
