MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major setback to members of Scheduled Tribe (ST) community seeking implementation of reservation for its candidates in the State Assembly elections scheduled on February 14, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday dismissed the writ petition refusing to grant them any relief.
The petitioners led by former MLA Prasad Gaonkar during the hearing argued that ST community is deprived of the benefit of the Constitutional mandate under Article 332 of the Constitution for reservation of Legislative Assembly seats in Goa in proportion to the population of ST in the State.
They contended that the mandate of the Constitution has been violated repeatedly by the respondents including Election Commission of India, government and others concerned despite representations made to them.
The petitioners brought to the notice of the court that a similar grievance was raised by Goa State Schedule Tribe Action Committee by filing Writ Petition No 230 of 2007, before the court.
