MARGAO
Expressing total dissatisfaction over the Cabinet decision to bring a bill to fulfill the demand for political reservations for the Scheduled Tribes, the Mission Political Reservations on Friday said there’s still time left for the BJP government to bring an Ordinance before the election code of Conduct comes into force.
Mission leaders have cautioned the BJP government and the ST Ministers, MLAs and other leaders that the time for celebration has not yet come. In fact, the Mission made a fervent plea to the BJP government to do a rethink on the decision taken by the Union Cabinet by promulgating an Ordinance to realise the long-pending demand for the ST communities for political reservations.
In fact, the Mission leaders wondered whether the proposed Bill to delimitate and adjust the constituencies is an attempt to protect the interests of certain BJP leaders.
Addressing media, Mission President Adv Joao Fernandes said the government is trying to fool the ST communities with the promise to bring a Bill in Parliament. “We will take appropriate action and unveil our plan of action in the event the government does not bring an Ordinance and resolve our demand before the coming Lok Sabha polls”, Joao asserted.
He added: “What the Union Cabinet by way of a proposed Bill is just an eyewash. The government should stop fooling the STs and take concrete action”.
Joao said “it was assured by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Ministers in Delhi that the Delimitation Commission will be appointed prior to the Code of Conduct, and the process to reserve the seats for STs of Goa in Assembly will start prior to the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections”.
Joao, however, said what is approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday is only a draft which is merely a piece of paper and has no value. “No process can be started until it is approved by both the Houses of the Parliament. And sadly, parliament will not be sitting during the tenure of the present Government at Centre”, he said.
Reminding that Sawant had given a clear assurance that the process to reserve the seats for STs will start before the Code of Conduct and the Delimitation Commission will be constituted by giving absolute powers to the EC, Joao said “instead of introducing a draft bill, the Government could have easily introduced an Ordinance”.
