Fears delay will deprive communities of reserved constituencies in 2027 Assembly polls; seeks South Goa MP’s intervention, submits memorandum
MARGAO
With no sign of the passage of the Bill in Parliament to grant political reservations for the Scheduled Tribes in Goa, the Mission for Political Reservation for the STs on Saturday called for promulgation of an Ordinance to expedite the process of identifying and notifying constituencies for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Assembly.
With the Goa Assembly elections scheduled for 2027, the Mission said any further delay threatens to deprive the ST communities of their right to reserve constituencies in yet another election cycle.
A delegation led by President of Mission for Political Reservation for the STs, Adv John Fernandes, Joseph Vaz and others handed over a memorandum to the South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes on Saturday, demanding an Ordinance in the event of continued delay in the passage of the Bill.
Asserting that the ST communities of Goa have waited for over two decades since their formal recognition as STs in 2003, John said the MP’s intervention in this matter would be instrumental in ensuring that democratic rights are upheld and constitutional mandates fulfilled and justice is done to the ST communities of Goa.
The memorandum reminded that the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2024, but seven months have elapsed without passing it. He said the government had made a formal assurance to the ST communities of Goa in March 2024 regarding this constitutional right. John, however, lamented that a year has now passed without fulfilment of this assurance.
“As highlighted in the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, Goa presents a peculiar situation wherein the Scheduled Tribe population (1,49,275 as per 2011 Census) is significantly higher than the Scheduled Caste population (25,449), yet no seats are reserved for STs in the Legislative Assembly. Three communities (Kunbi, Gawda, and Velip) were included in the list of STs of Goa via the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders) Amendment Act, 2003, substantially increasing the ST population in the State,” he said.
John said the continuous delay in passing this bill infringes upon the constitutional rights of the ST communities of Goa to have proportionate representation in the democratic process, as guaranteed under Article 332 of the Constitution.
The memorandum stated that the multi-step process involving passage in both Houses of the Parliament, Presidential assent and subsequent delimitation work by the Election Commission requires immediate action to ensure timely implementation.
The delegation has urged the MP to prioritise the passing of this bill in the upcoming Budget Session commencing on March 10, 2025. “We urge you to raise this matter on the floor of the House to ensure that it receives due attention and expeditious consideration. In the event of continued delay, advocate for the promulgation of an Ordinance to expedite the process of identifying and notifying constituencies for STs in the Goa Assembly,” the delegation added.
