Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday reiterated the Goa Government’s commitment to securing political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the Goa Legislative Assembly, stating that the government would pursue all available legal avenues to protect the community’s interests.
In a post on X, Sawant said the state government had consistently pursued the issue with the Central Government and maintained that the law had been enacted in favour of the ST community.
“However, the legal impediments caused due to the court cases will be seriously pursued before the Govt of India,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the Centre would be urged to approach the Supreme Court to protect the interests of the ST community in Goa.
The Chief Minister’s statement comes against the backdrop of a legal challenge to the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025.
The Goa High Court has granted interim relief to the petitioner by staying the issuance of a notification concerning the estimated ST population in the state. The court has also admitted the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the 2025 legislation.
The High Court has directed the parties to file their replies and rejoinders by November 19. Deputy Solicitor General of India, Advocate Pravin Faldessai, has stated that the Central Government would decide in the coming days whether to challenge the interim order.
The proceedings have raised questions over the legal process for readjusting Assembly constituencies to provide political representation to Goa’s Scheduled Tribe community.
Sawant, however, sought to reassure the community that the government remained committed to the objective, asserting that it would leave no stone unturned to protect the interests of STs in the state.
The next course of action will depend on the legal proceedings and the decision taken by the Central Government on whether to challenge the High Court’s interim order.
The case is significant for the long-standing demand for political representation of Goa’s Scheduled Tribe community in the state Legislative Assembly. The High Court’s final determination on the constitutional challenge could have a bearing on the way forward for the proposed constituency readjustment.
