PANAJI
Tribal leaders under the banner of the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) have given the State government a five-day ultimatum to expedite the process of implementing political reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Goa Legislative Assembly, warning of intensified action if the process is not completed in time for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The ultimatum comes amid growing dissatisfaction over the slow pace of implementation, despite more than three months having elapsed since the Centre operationalised the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025.
On Wednesday, UTAA president Prakash Shankar Velip led a delegation that met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Goel to seek an update on the progress made since the notification was issued in August.
“As far as we understand, not much progress has been made so far. The Election Commission is still required to forward certain information that has been sought, and we have been told that the matter is under process and that the information will be sent within the next two days,” Velip said.
He said the delegation had arrived with the expectation that several steps would have already been completed, but was disappointed with the pace of progress.
Velip recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured the tribal community after the notification that the entire process would be completed within two-and-a-half months, enabling ST political reservation in the 2027 Assembly elections.
“Now, only four days remain within the period we have been waiting for. We will wait for these four days and expect the government to take the necessary steps,” he said, warning that the community would decide its next course of action if there was no progress.
“Our firm resolve is to secure political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe community in the 2027 elections. We have already missed out on four elections, and this issue is extremely crucial for us. It is our constitutional right, and we must get what the Constitution guarantees us,” Velip said.
He added that tribal leaders and representatives of various organisations would meet within the next two to three days to decide their future strategy, including taking the issue to the streets and mounting further pressure on the government.
With the 2027 Assembly elections expected around mid-February, Velip said time was running out and urged the government to complete all necessary steps within the available period.
