CM urged to get notification to form delimitation commission

MARGAO 

Welcoming the decision of the Goa government to forward data of Scheduled Tribes to the Centre for political reservations to the ST community, the Mission Political Reservations for the Scheduled Tribes has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take one step further and get the notification to constitute a delimitation commission prior to the declaration of the Lok Sabha election in 2024.

Saying the ball now lies in the court of the Central Government, the Mission has further said the Team Mission will do the necessary follow up with the Central Government authorities to make sure that the long pending demand for political reservations for the ST community is finally achieved.

Mission president Adv John Fernandes informed that the Directorate of Tribal Welfare has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Law and Justice to constitute a delimitation commission for Reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa Assembly. 

“The Directorate of Tribal welfare has sent this proposal on May 24, 2023 and has requested the Ministry of Law & Justice to constitute a Delimitation commission as per Section 3 of Delimitation Act, 2002. In the proposal, the Director of Tribal Welfare has proposed to reserve four constituencies as per the total population of Scheduled Tribes in Goa State. As per Census 2011, the total population of Scheduled Tribes in Goa is 10.23%”, he said.

John said the Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa thank Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for finally clearing the proposal which was pending before him since last three months. 

“We also would like to thank all the 15 other Scheduled Tribes organizations who are supporting this Mission. We further thank the community leaders/elected representatives who are supporting and guiding us as and when required”, he added.

Thanking Dr. Kirit Solanki, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee for the welfare of SC/ST, who during his visit in Goa along with other 29 parliamentarians from in January last pressed this issue before the authorities based on the request made by the executive committee of the Mission. 

“Kirit had directed the State Government authorities to submit a proposal to the Central Govt for reservation of Seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa Assembly. He had also tabled a report in this regard in the lower house of the parliament (Lok Sabha) on 12 February 2023”, he said.

Prominent members of Mission along with the Gakuved Federation and 14 ST organization had staged a  hunger strike and later in the evening large number of people gathered at the Lohia Maidan to adopt a resolution to  boycott the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 if the notification regarding reservation of seats for scheduled tribes is not issued.