PANAJI
The Goa government will approach the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court’s interim order staying the process of notifying the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in the State, a crucial step towards granting political reservation to the community in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday to discuss the legal implications of the High Court’s order and chart the way forward to safeguard the community’s long-pending demand for political reservation.
The meeting was attended by Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar, Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, Advocate General Devidas Pangam, BJP Goa president Damu Naik, Adv Narendra Sawaikar and prominent leaders and representatives of the ST community.
"Following detailed deliberations, it was unanimously decided to pursue the matter before the Supreme Court and take all necessary legal steps to protect the process of granting political reservation to the ST community,'" CMO said in a press statement issued.
As part of the immediate course of action, a delegation led by Tawadkar will visit New Delhi to hold discussions with Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta on the legal options available and the further proceedings to be initiated before the Supreme Court.
Sawant reiterated the State government’s commitment to securing political reservation for the ST community, stating that the government had consistently pursued the long-pending demand with the Centre and would continue to make every possible effort to overcome legal hurdles.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s resolve to ensure that the community secures political representation in the forthcoming 2027 Goa Legislative Assembly elections.
"The Chief Minister emphasised that the government has consistently pursued this long-pending demand with the Central government and will continue to make every possible effort to overcome legal hurdles and safeguard the constitutional and political rights of the ST community," CMO said.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday restrained the Census Commissioner from notifying or publishing Goa’s ST population figures, holding that such figures cannot be determined on any basis other than the first official Census conducted after 2026.
‘Ideal to wait for 2027 data’
PANAJI: Sources in the Census Commission told The Goan that relying on the 2001 Census figures could cause injustice to the three communities- Kunbi, Gauda and Velip which were included in the ST category after that Census.
“From the 2011 data till now, there has been a vast change in the population. Ascertaining constituencies based on decade-old data would also not be correct. The authority might have to rely on provisional data, considering the population increase since 2011, or wait for the 2027 Census data, which is due in two months,” the sources said.
Referring to a September 10, communication from the Census Commissioner to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, the High Court while passing interim order had noted that the three communities were included in the ST list on January 8, 2003, after the 2001 Census had recorded only 566 ST individuals in Goa.
