Latest news with #Goa-specific
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Goa won't benefit from ST reservation in assembly until 2032, say legal experts
Margao: The passage of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Assembly Constituencies Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, has been hailed as historic by BJP govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, legal experts are of the view that Goa's tribal community may have to wait until at least 2032—and possibly 2037—before they can contest from reserved seats. 'Definitely not before 2032. Certain in 2037,' says lawyer and political commentator, Prabhakar Timble, pointing to the procedural maze that needs to be manoeuvred before reserved ST constituencies become a reality. While the bill's passage through the Rajya Sabha and presidential assent may be swift, the real challenges lie ahead. Govt is expected to conduct the national census in 2027, which will provide updated population figures essential for constituency delimitation. Four assembly constituencies are likely to be reserved for the ST community based on the data from the population census. 'The delimitation commission will likely be formed in 2027, after the conclusion of the census exercise,' says Timble. By his assessment, delimitation work takes a minimum of four years, which means the reservation benefits will kick in, at the earliest, by 2032. Lawyer and political observer Cleofato Coutinho echoes these concerns. He, however, points to various factors that will prove decisive in altering the fate of Goa's political landscape. 'If you look at the wording of the bill, it is reservation and readjustment of constituencies. We do not know whether under the guise of readjustment they may have a limited delimitation,' he points out. However, govt could theoretically fast-track the process by constituting a Goa-specific delimitation commission or using 2011 census data. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Such moves would be unprecedented, legal experts say. The euphoria over the bill's passage, however, doesn't resonate with all tribal leaders. Namdev Fatarpekar, founder member of the United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA), remains sceptical about the legislation's real impact. 'I don't find any reason to be optimistic that the passage of the reservation legislation will bring about fulfilment of the demands or development of the community,' says Fatarpekar, who was among those instrumental in bringing together several tribal organisations under the singular UTAA banner in 2004. 'In the current assembly, we have four MLAs from the ST community. But has their presence translated into meaningful performance? Also, the tribal welfare portfolio was headed by several tribal leaders over the years, what has been the outcome? The functioning of the tribal department leaves much to be desired. ' Fatarpekar's criticism becomes sharper as he questions the 22-year delay since Goa's tribals received ST status in 2003. 'It took 22 years for the bill to be passed in the Lok Sabha. Why this delay? Despite govt's grandstanding over the issue, they have no answers to justify this.' While Timble views the legislation as one that will lead to 'extension and deepening of democracy,' he also warns of potential unintended consequences. 'What can also happen is political parties may not field ST candidates in constituencies other than reserved ones,' he says. 'Political parties may be reluctant to field ST candidates in other constituencies because there are other interests to protect, like, for instance, political aspirations of OBCs, and balancing caste equations. ' Fatarpekar believes that the development of tribals hinges on the notification of scheduled areas—a key demand that remains unfulfilled. The tribal leader fears that reservation might simply perpetuate the existing cycle. 'What will likely happen after this legislation is that the same persons will keep getting re-elected from the reserved constituencies, or some new faces may get elected, but if the will is missing, it is unlikely to make any difference.' Political observers also warn that the creation of reserved constituencies could trigger unintended consequences. 'The concentration of tribal political power in designated seats might lead to the emergence of regional satraps,' a political observer, wishing anonymity, says.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CM: Will bring in scheme to provide housing for homeless
Porvorim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that state govt would introduce a new scheme to provide housing for the homeless. He said the scheme would be similar to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana , but Goa-specific. He also said that two patches of govt land in Pernem have been identified for this scheme, and that govt would construct 1BHK flats there. Sawant said issues related to housing for the homeless would be resolved within two months and that one of the criteria to avail of this housing would be a 30-year resident certificate. In a calling attention motion, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral drew the attention of the House to providing homes for the homeless through a scheme. He discussed the steps govt intends to take, and specified that the homeless do not include those who have migrated to Goa and are living on the streets. The state-specific scheme was a unanimous demand by both the treasury and opposition benches. MLAs also demanded a definition of who a 'homeless' person is, and a survey to identify such people. They also demanded that govt appoint a contractor to build houses for the homeless and club all state govt schemes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 17 Foods That Should Never Be Placed in the Refrigerator Car Novels Undo Sawant said govt currently allocates Rs 1.5 lakh for house repair and Rs 3 lakh for constructing them. He also said panchayats would issue construction licences within the stipulated time. Social welfare minister Subhash Phal Dessai said it appears that currently, beneficiaries use the (scheme) money for other purposes, such as buying two-wheelers, and hence cannot submit a utilisation certificate. The minister said that if the CM allows for appointing a contractor to construct houses, the allocated money will be properly utilised. Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said at least Rs 8 lakh is required to build a house on a small plot, while St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar said govt should conduct a survey to identify the homeless. Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that everyone is now demanding an agency to implement the scheme for the homeless even as he wondered if the agency would 'build houses with Rs 1.5 and Rs 3 lakh'. He termed the scheme a 'joke' and asked the CM to explain how more funds would be allocated. Opposition leader Yuri Alemao said that over the past decade, there has been no survey conducted to identify the homeless. He called for a land bank policy and a transparent portal to apply for the scheme online. Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye pointed out that there was very little utilisation of funds under the Atal Asra Yojana, while Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar said MLAs should be allowed to identify the homeless.
