the goan I network
MAPUSA
Leader of Opposition Chandrankant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar on Friday said the government had slighted the Dhangar community, as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar failed to mention the issue in his reply in the House.
Kavlekar raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly when the CM was about to wind up his reply to the demands on social welfare department without making a mention of the reservation to Dhangars raised by
Kavlekar.
“The chief minister has not taken the issue of reservation of Dhangar community seriously. Time and again, I have been raising the issue, but the government has deliberately kept the issue hanging for very long,” Kavlekar said.
The chief minister who was initially caught off guard informed the opposition leader that the government had dished out all benefits to the dhangars and treated the community on par with Scheduled Tribes (ST).
“We have given all benefits to the Dhangar community as is available to the Scheduled Tribes. But to give them the status of ST depends on the Centre,” Parrikar said.
He further said that he would take up the issue with the Centre when he will visit Delhi on August 7.
When the leader of opposition volunteered to accompany the chief minister to Delhi, Parrikar said it will be of no use as he wouldn’t be able to follow up the matter with the relevant union minister.
