PANJIM: Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has rejected the Private members’ resolution moved by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa for the upcoming Assembly session. In his media statement, D’Costa stated that “Bulletin no 162 issued by the Secretary Legislature reveals that Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has rejected my Private members’ resolution on “Political Reservation for Scheduled Castes.”
Reacting to the statement made by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa that the government and the Speaker are against providing reservation to the people belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) in the State Assembly is ‘immature’.
Addressing a press conference at the assembly complex at Porvorim, the Speaker said, “The statement has been aimed at getting publicity. Had he been a new MLA we would have understood but it is sad that it has come from an MLA who has been attending the Assembly for the last two and half years.”
“I do not know whether he consulted Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao before making the statement or not. But if he has consulted and made the statement then it is like showing immaturity. He should understand how the Legislative Assembly functions and stop making statements like this,” he said.
However, Altone D’Costa said he has shown his political maturity as South Goa election campaign incharge by ensuring victory of Congress candidate and he does not require certificate from the Speaker.
“I have shown my Political Maturity as South Goa Election Campaign Incharge by ensuring victory of Congress Candidate Capt. Viriato Fernandes. I do not need a certificate from Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on my Political Maturity. My Resolution was for the benefit of the Scheduled Tribes Community,” he said in a statement.
Earlier, the Quepem MLA had claimed that the Speaker had rejected his private member resolution on political reservation for STs in Goa.
“It appears that the Speaker has acted in the direction of anti-BJP leadership,” D’Costa said.
‘Speaker, bjp against scheduled tribes’
MARGAO: Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa in response to the rejection of his Private Member Resolution, alleged that the Speaker’s decision reflected an agenda against Scheduled Tribes, which he attributed to the BJP leadership.
D’Costa’s statement suggested that he believed the Speaker’s actions were influenced by directives from higher-ups within the BJP, implying a broader political stance against Scheduled Tribes’ interests in Goa.
He further stated that the replies given to Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao in February 2024 in Goa Legislative Assembly by the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reveal that it was only on May 24, 2023 that the Directorate of Tribal Welfare wrote to Ministry of Law and Justice requesting them to constitute delimitation commission to identify constituencies to be reserved for Scheduled Tribes in Goa.
“This exposes the fact that from 2012 to 2023, the BJP Government did not do anything towards Political Reservation for the Scheduled Tribes. It may be noted that GAKUVED had submitted a Memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in December 2022 demanding Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes besides various other issues. Government woke up only after 5 months and wrote to the Ministry of Law and Justice,” said MLA D’Costa.
He said the BJP Government has always remained anti-Scheduled Tribes and they failed to announce a support price of Rs 175 to cashew farmers.
“Funds received from the Central Government for Welfare of Scheduled Tribes have remained unutilized for the last many years. The BJP Government has even failed to notify Tribal Areas in Goa,” said D’Costa.
However, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar reacted stating MLA D’Costa is immature.
“ST reservation has been already passed in the past by Goa Assembly,” he stated.
