Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA) has announced a statewide agitation demanding the immediate implementation of political reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Goa Legislative Assembly. As part of the movement, the alliance will organise a ‘Chalo Panaji’ mega public rally on August 13, 2026, marking one year since The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025 was notified in the Gazette of India.
In a press note, UTAA expressed disappointment over the continued non-implementation of the Act despite it being notified on August 13, 2025. The alliance stated that the legislation was the outcome of a 23-year struggle by Goa’s Scheduled Tribe community for political representation guaranteed under Article 332 of the Constitution of India.
UTAA recalled that in 2024, Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant had led a delegation of tribal leaders to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had assured that political reservation for Scheduled Tribes would be implemented before the next Goa Assembly elections. Following this, the proposal received Union Cabinet approval, was introduced in Parliament, passed in August 2025, and later notified after receiving Presidential assent.
However, the alliance alleged that the Central Government has not yet notified the date of commencement under Section 1(2) of the Act. It said that until such a notification is issued, the legislation cannot come into force, effectively delaying the process of providing political reservation to Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
UTAA further stated that despite sustained efforts by tribal organisations, Scheduled Tribe MLAs and community leaders, there has been no positive response from either the State or Central Government to operationalise the Act. According to the alliance, the continued delay amounts to a denial of the constitutional rights of the Scheduled Tribe community.
Following a meeting of its Working Committee and Interim Executive Council, UTAA resolved to intensify its democratic movement. The alliance announced that it will launch a statewide awareness campaign across all ST-dominated Assembly constituencies, with ward- and village-level meetings to educate people about their constitutional right to political reservation and the alleged delay in implementing the notified law.
As part of the agitation, the alliance will hold the ‘Chalo Panaji’ rally on August 13, 2026, and has appealed to Scheduled Tribe citizens, democratic institutions, civil society organisations and supporters of constitutional values to join the peaceful movement for justice.
