MARGAO: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday assured to take up the demand of Scheduled Tribals (ST) Reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly with the Central government.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the installation ceremony of the new Committee of the United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) under the new Chairmanship of Prakash Shankar Velip.
“A demand was placed before the Chief Minister to take up the matter of ST Reservation in Goa Assembly with the Central Government. We still did not get a reservation in Assembly,” the UTAA said.
Sawant said, “As far as the political reservation is concerned, I will make sure, I place it before the Centre and get it passed. We are too late in giving the rights to the aboriginal Goans and not one of the Goans should fall short of getting the development and rights that are bestowed to them by the Constitution.”
A programme on Forest Rights Act Awareness and Tribal Land rights Awareness was also held.
The Chief Minister said, “At least 10,500 applications have been filed for the Forest Rights. We will appoint a Private Survey Agency and in the next three months, the survey of the lands claimed will be completed. By April or May, most cases will be completed. The manner in which the Minister is handling the issue we are sure that we will complete the work soon.”
“They are shouting Save Mollem sitting in Panjim and in London. It is easy that way but our people in Mollem are still longing for basic rights and facilities and the persons commenting don’t understand the pains of the people,” the Chief Minister said.
