PANJIM: Rajya Sabha MP and BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, in a special mention in the Upper House on Wednesday, addressed the urgent and significant issue of political representation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities in the State Legislative Assembly.
Tanavade emphasised the need to amend representation norms to ensure adequate political reservations for Scheduled Tribes, thereby promoting inclusive governance and equitable development in Goa.
He said, Goa with its rich cultural heritage and diverse populationtoseveral STs, who have been integral to the social and economic fabric of the State. Despite their contribution, they have not been adequately represented in the State Assembly, The Constitution of India guarantees reservation to STs to ensure their meaningful participation in the democratic process and to address their unique, social, economic and cultural challenges, he said.
However, in Goa, there is currently no political reservation for STs in the State Legislative Assembly, which, Tanavade said, was hampering their ability to influence policies and decisions that directly affect their lives. This lack of representation impedes the empowerment and development of STs in Goa.
Meanwhile, thanking Tanavade for raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTTA) president Prakash Velip said that political reservations for STs was their long pending demand. “We had been agitating for political reservation and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured us,” he said.
hoping that the Union government will soon introduce a bill in Parliament in this regard.
