TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) which had spearheaded the protest seeking justice for the Scheduled Tribes in Goa since 2004, on Monday reiterated their demand of 12 per cent reservation in State Assembly and demanded a ban on sale of land belonging to STs to non- tribals.
An UTTA delegation led by President Prakash Velip met Director, Tribal Welfare Sandhya Kamat, Monday morning reiterating their twelve long pending demands. The delegation also pointed out that over 20,000 applications under various tribal schemes are pending before the department for sanction.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Velip said that UTTA has been pressing for a series of demands since 2004, few of which are currently in the pipeline for implementation such as Tribal Forest Act. He said that since the director, has been newly posted he has sought time to study their proposals.
Velip demanded that government should simplify the procedures for applying under various schemes. “People have to face hardship while making applications under tribal schemes,” he said. UTTA has been holding series of awareness programmes in various tribal areas educating them on rights of tribals.
UTTA wants that an ST Commission should be set-up along with strengthening ST Finance and Development Corporation. They have also been demanding that 12 per cent budgetary provisions which have been made, should be fully utilized only for tribals, and filling the backlog of vacancies which amounts to nearly 1500.
When contacted, Director, Tribal Welfare Sandhya Kamat said that she had assured them to clear the pending applications for vacancies in next two months. She said that she has sought time to go through the demands before putting them up before the Government.
