Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has stated that the Goa government is actively following up with the Registrar General of India regarding the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Dhangar community. CM Sawant chaired a meeting with representatives of the Dhangar community and addressed various issues that remain major concerns for them, particularly related to housing and forest rights. The Dhangar community in Goa has long sought inclusion in the ST category, a status already granted to other local communities such as the Gauda, Kunbi, and Velip in 2003.
The Chief Minister also said that the government is serious about regularising Dhangar homes, nearly 90% of which are located on revenue land. Many residents have lived in these houses for over 60 years and have now been advised to apply under encroachment provisions to initiate the legalisation process.
The criteria for inclusion in the ST list include primitive traits, distinctive culture, geographical isolation, limited contact with the wider community, and backwardness, based on the modalities approved in 1999.
However, the RGI has previously rejected the proposal to recognise Dhangars as a distinct tribal community, most recently in 2024 and earlier in 2021. It will be interesting to see how things come.