MARGAO: In a major boost to Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa (MPRSTG), the national organisation, Adivasi Ekta Parishad, has extended their support to MPRSTG and will take up Goa group’s demands with the Central government, President of India and the Governor of Goa.
On Sunday, a meeting was held with the senior leaders of the Parishad including its national Secretary Ashok Chaudhary with senior leaders of MPRSTG including its President Adv Joao Fernandes.
After Fernandes submitted a memorandum to Chaudhary, the Parishad assured MPRSTG that they would raise this issue with the Central and State government and question why the Scheduled Tribes (STs) of Goa are still being denied reservation, which is their constitutional right. MPRSTG also reiterated that they are going ahead with the protest march to the Goa Assembly on February 5 to protest the State government’s failure to stick to assurances given during the previous assembly session.
“The entire ST community was very hopeful to get the above constitutional right when Goa Assembly on July 21, 2023 unanimously passed a private members resolution moved by Ganesh Gaonkar, a ST MLA to recommend and urge the Central Government to reserve seats for STs in the Legislative Assembly,” Fernandes recalled.
Questioning the delay, Fernandes recalled that the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Caste & STs headed by Professor Kirit Premjibhai Solanki during their visit to Goa on January 19, 2023 had given directions to Goa Government to submit proposal to constitute Delimitation Commission to give Political reservation to STs for the purpose of delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies in state of Goa.
