MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday informed the Goa Legislative Assembly that the proposal to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Dhangar community is once again under consideration with the Union government, offering a fresh assurance to the community after its long-pending demand suffered a setback earlier this year. Replying to an issue raised by Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai during the discussion on the need to ensure that socially backward communities receive their rightful share, Sawant said the State government had obtained a letter from the Union Tribal Affairs Minister confirming that the matter was under consideration and that the process had restarted. The chief minister's statement comes months after the State government was informed that its proposal for inclusion of Gouly-Dhangar in the ST list had not found favour with the Registrar General of India (RGI). The proposal has been pending for more than two decades. The Goa government had earlier submitted additional justification and a compliance report to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs following observations raised by the Office of the Registrar General of India. The issue has gained renewed political significance with the State heading towards the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Dhangar community had earlier set an August 15 deadline for the government to act on its demand and warned of intensified agitation if there was no progress.
Sardesai, while drawing the Attention of the House, sought ST status for the Dhangar Samaj and also demanded a separate quota within the existing Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation for the Bhandari community. Responding to the demand concerning the Bhandaris, Sawant said the process of examining a separate quota within the existing OBC reservation was underway before the Goa State Commission for Backward Classes.
