Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: The Meeting of ‘Mission political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa’ along with Zilla Panchayat Members, Sarpanchs, Dy-sarpanches, Panch members, Councillors, Executive committee members of 14 ST organisations, & prominent members from ST communities, all over Goa, at Kings Banquet Hall Reliance Trade Center Margao resolved to boycott the LOka Sabha polls if their demand of political reservation is not met.
Around 125 ST leaders from the Scheduled Tribe community all over Goa, attended the meeting.
In the meeting, the discussion was held on the Assurance Given by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on 28/03/2023 on the floor of the house of the Goa Legislative Assembly that the Scheduled Tribes of Goa will get Reservation in Assembly in the 2027 Election.
All members present showed dissatisfaction with the Assurance given by the Chief Minister and Demanded reservation of Seats for scheduled tribes of Goa “before the 2024 Lok Sabha\ Election”.
Some members were furious as to why Chief Minister was sitting with the file of the proposal sent to him by the Director of Tribal Welfare on 21/02/2023 to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes In the Assembly.
“The election commission of India Reserved One Seat for Scheduled Tribes of Goa vide notification no.282/Goa /88 dated 20/05/1988 after 42 amendments to the constitution by exercising powers conferred upon it under section 17 of Goa Reorganisation Act 1987. In view of the above Election Commission can certainly reserve Assembly seats and Parliamentary Seats for the Scheduled Tribes of Goa. Why is there injustice on Tribals of Goa?” leaders asked.
The meeting took the following resolutions:
1) It was resolved to Boycott the 2024 LokSabha election if the Notification is not removed before
2024 Parliamentary election to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes of Goa in Assembly.
2 It was also resolved to conduct meetings and do awareness at every village/ ward wise where there is an ST population in every Taluka of Goa & to explain to people how we have been denied our constitutional rights and injustice done to us.
The spokesperson of the political mission reservation Govind Shirodkar warned the Government not to take STs for granted.
He highlighted that the central Government reserved seats by issuing a Notification dated 06.03.2020 to constitute a delimitation commission for the purpose of delimitation for assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the state of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, then why this discrimination for Goa state?
The Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, holds the portfolio of Tribal Welfare. He should approve the file which is on his table and submit the said proposal for reservation of seats for Scheduled tribes in the Goa Assembly to the Ministry of Law and justice, Home Ministry and Director Tribal Affairs, Government of India, without any further delay so that the Notification can be issued to reserve seats for ST in Goa Assembly before 2024 LokSabha elections.
Taluka level Committees for every Taluka were appointed to make awareness at village level.
