MARGAO
Tribal leaders, who have vowed to teach the BJP government a lesson in the May 7 Lok Sabha polls, over the failure to notify political reservations for the Scheduled Tribes, are weighing various options, including the option to contest in the ensuing election or support the opposition to corner the ruling party in the polls.
While the tribal leaders comprising of Rupesh Velip and Rama Kankonkar have kicked off their awareness programme in the ST-dominated villages across the State to explain how the BJP has “fooled” the ST community over political reservations, they seemed weighing various options, including the option to contest in the ensuing polls or to support the opposition to defeat the BJP in the husting.
Tribal leader Rupesh Velip told The Goan that the group will soon take a call how to go about the coming polls. “Right now, we have launched our awareness programme in the ST-dominated villages to explain our community how the BJP has failed to meet the deadline on political reservations. What the BJP government at the Centre has assured the community is nothing but an assurance on a piece of paper, which has no value since the question of the Bill will come up only after the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
Rupesh said since the tribal leaders have resolved to teach the BJP a lesson in the ensuing polls, a decision will be taken whether to contest the coming election or support the party capable of defeating the BJP. “We will soon take a call on the matter in the coming days,” he said.
Meanwhile, continuing its ongoing exercise of holding awareness programme in the villages, the tribal leaders comprising of Rupesh Velip have held a meeting at Mangueshi in Priol constituency to make people aware on how the BJP government has cheated the sons of the soil and denied the constitutional rights.
Tribal leader Rama Kankonkar, explained the villagers about all constitutional rights of STs, their objectives, benefits and different tactics played by government to deny benefits since 2003. He raised concern over backlog of 3,000 ST jobs vacancies in various departments, over 9,500 individual forest rights claims pending to be settled, delay in Scheduled Areas (tribal areas) to be notified as per the Vth Schedule of the Constitution, non-ultilisation of Rs 2,500 crore as funds under Tribal Sub Plan for the development of tribal community in Goa.
“The survey has revealed several tribal villages are with lack of basic amenities like non-availability of proper tar roads, no health centres, improper schools, irregular water supply, etc,” Kankonkar said, adding that schemes for welfare of tribals were also not being implemented citing reason of shortage of funds,” he added.
Rupesh Velip informed that members of the tribal communities are in great anguish over repeated delay tactics by the current government, adding that they have taken the pledge to teach a lesson to the current BJP government.
