Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the process to implement political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the Goa Legislative Assembly will be completed within a month following the Central Government’s notification bringing the reservation process a step closer to implementation.
Sawant said the notification was issued after the legislation underwent proper legal examination and clarified that the reference to the 2001 Census should not lead to any confusion over the population figures to be considered.
According to the Chief Minister, the Commissioner to be appointed by the Central Government will examine the available ST population data, including the figures recorded up to the present date, before identifying the Assembly constituencies where reservation will be applicable.
“The Bill was passed by the Central Government after proper legal study,” Sawant said, maintaining that the appointment of the Commissioner and the subsequent exercise will pave the way for completing the reservation process.
Sawant said the notification marks an important step towards fulfilling the long-standing demand for political representation of the ST community in Goa and assured that the exercise would be completed before the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Sawant for the notification, saying the BJP government had delivered justice to the ST community.
Sawant also said the BJP meeting reviewed the party’s programmes planned for the coming month, including the Tiranga Yatra, the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and the inauguration of new party offices.
Preparations for proposed visits by senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, were also discussed at the meeting.
