Sawant blames Oppn for Parliament gridlock, lists tribal welfare measures
MAPUSA
The Goa Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a heated debate as the Opposition slammed the BJP-led government over its failure to ensure political representation for the tribal community in the State.
Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar led the charge, accusing the government of betraying the tribals by not taking concrete steps to provide them seats in the Assembly.
“For the tribal community, the primary concern is political representation. This government has cheated them by not fulfilling that promise,” Borkar said.
He recalled that a resolution had been moved by BJP MLA Ganesh Gaonkar seeking political reservation for tribals in the Assembly, which had received unanimous support, but the government failed to follow it up. “Tribals have been demanding political representation since 2003. And yet, even after two decades, the movement has been ignored. The Chief Minister is only trying to confuse the issue by blaming the Opposition,” Borkar lashed out.
Citing official figures, he pointed out that 852 posts meant for tribals remain unfilled and Rs 69 crore allocated for tribal development is yet to be utilised. “This backlog shows the tribal community continues to get a raw deal. The government is clearly not serious about their welfare,” he charged.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant responded by defending the BJP’s track record, claiming that it was under the party’s rule that substantial progress was made for tribal welfare. “It was our government at the Centre that granted tribal status to the Gawda and Kunbi communities in 2003. Since then, we have implemented 22 Central and State schemes for their benefit,” Sawant said.
He also highlighted that around 3,000 tribals residing in forest areas had received their sanads under the Forest Rights Act, and a Tribal Research Institute had been set up in Sanguem, with plans for a dedicated tribal museum underway.
On the issue of political reservation, the Chief Minister claimed that the resolution moved by Gaonkar had been sent to the Centre and that the bill was introduced in Parliament but failed to pass the Rajya Sabha due to disruptions.
“We have again requested the Centre to pass it at the earliest,” he said.
However, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao rejected the Chief Minister’s explanation, arguing that the BJP government had passed several bills in the Assembly without the Opposition’s support. “Why does the government suddenly need Opposition backing on this? The question is simple – when will the tribals get political representation?” Alemao asked.
He further stated that Congress MP Viriato Fernandes had spoken in favour of the bill in Parliament, undercutting the Chief Minister’s claim of lack of support from the Opposition.
Adding to the criticism, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai accused the government of not notifying the tribal scheduled areas and alleged suppression of voices within the ruling coalition.
“A minister who raised the issue of tribals being forced to pay for jobs was sacked from the cabinet,” Sardesai claimed.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas also took aim at the government, stating that the absence of any tribal representative in the cabinet exposed the administration’s lack of commitment. “There is absolutely no vision for tribals in this government,” Viegas said.
Amid mounting pressure, Sawant asserted that 82 per cent of the tribal development funds allocated in Goa have been utilised – the highest in the country – and highlighted the reservation already implemented in panchayats and zilla panchayats.
