PANAJI
Hailing the Central cabinet decision to grant its assent to a bill for readjustment of Goa Assembly seats for the scheduled tribe (ST), Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that as per Census 2011, four seats would be reserved for the community in the State Assembly.
Addressing a press conference, Sawant said that the Central cabinet has approved a “Bill” and not an “Ordinance” and the same would be tabled and passed in the Parliament session to be held immediately after the Lok Sabha polls, due in April/May.
He said that the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes Bill 2024 will empower the census commission to notify the population of STs in Goa as per the 2011 Census, which is almost 10.24 per cent of the State’s total population at that particular period.
Sawant further explained that based on the population data, the Election Commission will amend the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order 2008 to make way for ST reservation.
Meanwhile, the CM criticised the Congress for failing to protect the interest of the ST community during their tenure, despite coming up with three ordinances to reserve seats for STs way back in 2013.
“It is a shame for Congress that they failed to give justice to this community and hence they have no right to speak on the ST reservation issue. Not once but thrice, they literally fooled them,” he said how the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre then, allowed the Ordinance to lapse in January 2013, June 2013 and again in September 2013.
He said that the State government is currently in the process of granting ST status to the Dhangar community and the required formalities have been completed.
He further said that the government, so far, has issued 2,500 sanads under Forest Rights Act while another 7,500 would be issued over next three years.
