Panaji: In a major step towards political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe community in Goa legislative assembly, the union government on Thursday notified the Act, which was earlier passed in the Parliament.
Union Ministry of Law and Justice on August 6 has issued a notification stating that “in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025(21 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 06th day of August, 2026 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”
The notification paves way for the political reservation for Scheduled Tribe community in Goa legislative Assembly. Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant had recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to expedite the process of reservation for ST community.
Sawant wrote on X on Thursday “A promise kept. I warmly welcome the coming into force of the ST Assembly Representation Act from today. With the Act now in force, Goa moves decisively towards reserving Assembly seats for our ST communities; long-overdue justice for our tribal brothers and sisters.”
“Deep gratitude to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, and Honorable HM Shri Amit Shah ji. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” he added.
ST leader and BJP MLA Govind Gaude reacted that it is a big victory of social justice movement.
“It is the big victory of the social justice movement. It is victory of the revolution. The strength in the revolution is reflected here. It can make impossible things, possible,” said Gaude, who was part of the pressure group, that had urged state government to expedite the process of political reservation ahead of 2027 Goa polls.
“The process of reservation should start now with the registrar of census immediately, they should notify considering data of the constituencies and then it is for ECI to implement People’s Representation Act,” he said.
Gaude said that they have have full confidence in the state and central govt that there will be political reservation in 2027.
