MARGAO
Toddy Tappers under the banner of All Goa Toddy Tappers Association on Wednesday demanded that the Goa government adopt a resolution to provide political reservations for the OBC communities in the state.
They made a plea to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Cabinet Minister to take a Cabinet decision and send the same to the Centre for necessary action.
Members of the All Goa Toddy Tappers Association addressed the media at Cuncolim on Wednesday with a one-point demand for political reservations for the OBCs.
Briefing the media, Mario Fernandes said they have no issue over the grant of political reservations for the Scheduled Tribe communities. “We are happy that our ST brethren have got political reservations in the Goa State Assembly. Similarly, we have come here to convey a message to the government to provide political reservations to members of the 19 communities that constitute the OBCs in Goa,” he said.
He added: “The Toddy tappers demanded that the Pramod Sawant Cabinet adopt a resolution to extend similar reservations to the OBC communities. We have faith and trust that the Goa government will act on our demand and implement political reservations for the OBCs.”
Saying that the OBCs were given reservations for medical seats by the government, he said, “Let the government also give us political reservations. We are not asking for a certain number of seats for the OBCs in political reservations. But let justice be done to the OBCs by reserving seats in the Legislative Assembly.”
Another member of the Association, Felix, echoed similar sentiments. He said while the OBCs have been given reservations in the Panchayat and Municipalities, the communities have been left out in the political reservations for the Goa Legislative Assembly. “The OBCs form the majority of the population in Goa. Members of these communities have been lagging behind. Hence, we have decided that we should also be given political reservations,” he said.
Felix made a fervent plea to the government to ensure there is no injustice to the OBC community. “Give whatever is due to the OBC communities. The government should not take the OBCs lightly, but do the needful by understanding their sentiments,” he said, exuding confidence that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will accept the demand of the OBCs for political reservations.
