WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: A tense situation was witnessed during the protest organised by the Mission Political Reservation in the capital on Monday afternoon as a large group of people blocked the old Mandovi Bridge pressing for their demand for political reservation for ST communities in the State Legislative Assembly.
Later, the Mission for Political Reservation withdrew its protest following an assurance by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that notification for constituting Delimitation Commission for reserving four Assembly seats for ST communities in 2027 Assembly elections will be issued before announcement of ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
The Chief Minister told a delegation that he will make a formal announcement while answering the calling attention notice tabled by the Opposition on Saturday instead of Wednesday so that he can find out more details about the status from Delhi. The calling attention notice was tabled by Opposition members on Monday.
Earlier in the morning, the police stopped the morcha at Merces junction even as it moved towards the entrance of the Mandovi Bridge from Panjim side. Large police force deployed at the bridge stopped people from marching towards Goa Assembly Complex at Porvorim.
Hundreds of supporters of Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities shouted slogans. It was later decided to send a 16-member Mission Political Reservation Committee to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and place their demands before him.
The Mission for Political Reservation leaders said that they will give the government a deadline of 10 days to start the process for political reservation for ST communities in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
“Our demand is very simple. Before notification of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political reservation for ST communities in Goa has to be notified. The government should also discuss the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is arriving in Goa on Tuesday and take it to a logical conclusion,” the leaders of ST communities demanded.
After meeting the Chief Minister, the ST delegation claimed that the Chief Minister has assured them that the notification for constituting Delimitation Commission for reserving four Assembly seats for ST communities in 2027 Assembly elections will be issued before announcement of ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, and other Opposition MLAs were present during the meeting with the Chief Minister.
Sawant told the delegation that he will find out the current status of the file for notifying Delimitation Commission for ST communities and accordingly inform the House of the current status of the file on Saturday.
“Their file is pending before the Tribal Department of Government of India. The file has come to Registrar-General of India and from there after taking approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delimitation Commission has to be notified”, Sawant said.
“Even I spoke to the Home Ministry two days back about the notification to be issued to constitute a Delimitation Commission. My efforts are on to get it done. There is a procedural delay. I will find out the current status of the file and will reply accordingly by Saturday,” Sawant said.
