Panaji: A day after central cabinet approved the passing of the bill to facilitate reservation to scheduled tribes in Goa legislative assembly, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that four assembly constituencies would be reserved under this reservation category.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Sawant also challenged Congress party to show “one thing that they have done for the scheduled tribe community.”
Sawant said that four assembly constituencies would be reserved for the ST during 2027 Goa legislative assembly elections.
BJP Goa President Sadanand Shet Tanavade was also present for the press conference. During the press conference, BJP Tribal MLAs – Govind Gaude and Ganesh Gaonkar — felicitated Sawant and Tanavade for their consistent follow up of the issue.
Sawant thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah for passing this demand, which was pending for over 21 years. He said that it was during Atal Behari Vajpayee government time that then CM late Manohar Parrikar had given tribal status to Gauda, Kunbi and Velip communities.
He said that later all these communities had protested in the year 2005 with their 12 demands, when Congress was ruling in centre and Goa. “Shame on Congress that they could not fulfil their demands. Two tribals were martyred in the agitation pressing for demands under Congress rule,” Sawant said.
The chief minister said that Congress has continued fooling the tribals by moving three faulty ordinances in January, 2013, June 2013 and September 2019.
“These ordinances were faulty. Then Congress government did not even pass the Bill,” he said adding “I challenge the Congress party to show one thing that they have done for the scheduled tribe community.”
Sawant said that his government has been working for the rights of tribals. “Total 10 per cent of the fund in different departments is reserved to be used in the tribal population areas,” he said.
The chief minister said that the cases under Forest Rights Act were also dispersed under his government. “We had 10,000 cases under FRA of which 2500 are disbursed while rest 7500 are fast tracked,” he said.
While congratulating the central leadership for passing for approving the bill in the union cabinet to facilitate reservation to scheduled tribes, Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday criticised Congress for “doing nothing for the tribals during their regime.”
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Sawant said that
Union Cabinet approved a bill to facilitate reservation to Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the coastal state’s Assembly
