Says severed ties with association in 2012, party will decide on Cabinet berth
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar addressing the media on Friday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Tribal leader and Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday said that he had severed ties with the United Tribal Association’s Alliance (UTAA) around 2012 when the organisation had drawn up plans to continue the agitation path when he was heading the Tribal Welfare Department as a Minister.
Tawadkar further said the Tribal Welfare Department headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had never delayed nor obstructed any of his developmental proposal meant for the benefit of the tribal communities.
He parried all questions over reports of his imminent induction in the Pramod Sawant Cabinet, saying the issue falls in the domain of the party leadership and the government.
Fielding a host of questions, Tawadkar said it makes no difference for him whether he is a minister or not, saying that he has made good use of the position of Speaker to serve the society. “It makes no difference whether I am a minister or not. It is for the party to take a call on a Cabinet berth. It is a party decision,” he said.
He added: “I have been a party cadre since I became the MLA in 2005. I have seen power and positions in my political journey. I was given the position of Speaker by the party and I have discharged the duties with responsibility.”
Asked to comment on reports that there’s a division between tribal body UTAA and Ramesh Tawadkar, the Speaker said, “There are divisions everywhere, in families, society, etc. Since I belong to the tribal community, I had worked in the GAKUVED movement to get ST status for the tribal communities. I became an MLA in 2005 and since then I have been closely working for the rights of the tribal communities. During the May 25, 2011 Balli agitation, I along with Sanguem MLA Vasudev Meng Gaonkar were the only two MLAs, who were part of the movement.”
He added: “After the 2011 agitation, I was in power since 2012 and those in the agitation were outside. I was then holding the reigns of the Tribal Welfare Department. These people want to continue the agitation in support of their demands. But, I maintained that I cannot be part of the agitation since the government had given me the keys of the Tribal Welfare Department as its Minister. Hence, I told them that they may pursue their agitation and I will work for the welfare of the tribals since I was part of the government.”
Referring to the allegations made against the Tribal Welfare Department, Tawadkar said he does not want to go into the allegations. He, however, hastened to remind that the Tribal Welfare Department is being headed by the Chief Minister, saying one needs to place the grievances with the CM and get them resolved. “You have to sit with the Director, Tribal Welfare why the work is not getting processed, whether the matter is in the court or are there objections, etc,” he added.
