Political reservation for SC/ST
Written by NT Network
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 01:21
PANAJI: Stating that reservations alone cannot solve the problems of
the backwardness of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
communities the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, said that
conscientious efforts should be made by the government and the society
to elevate the social, economic and political status of these
communities so that they too could become part of the developed
society.
Summing up the discussion on a resolution moved by him earlier to
ratify the amendment to the Constitution of India falling within the
purview of clause (d) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 368,
proposed to be made by the Constitution (109th amendment) Bill, 2009,
as passed by the Parliament, providing for reservations to SC/ST
communities in the political setup and extending reservation in other
areas, he said that this was an important amendment aimed at ending
backwardness of these communities.
"We have to act with our hearts to end the backwardness of the SC/ST
communities or this process of providing for reservations, ostensibly
aimed at the progress of the communities would continue indefinitely,"
said the Chief Minister adding that the resolution was also aimed at
ensuring that the benefits under the reservation reached to those whom
it was intended. He also said that UPA government has taken various
steps for the welfare of the communities.
Mr Kamat said that the SC/ST communities have developed much better in
the state than in other parts of the country, even as he said that the
government was making continuous efforts to uplift the status of these
communities.
He further said that Rs 2.5 crore have been released to the ST
Corporation for implementation of various schemes and that his
government was committed to the welfare of the STs in the state. He
also said that a commission for the welfare of the communities would
be set up on Andhra Pradesh model and that the new department would be
functional from April 2010.
The House passed the resolution unanimously even as some members of
the House urged the government to convey the feelings of the House to
the Centre to provide for political reservations in state legislative
assembly and other bodies for the ST communities, which has not been
done in view of there being no specific date as regards to ST
communities and the major communities got ST status in 2003 while the
reservations were made on 2001 census.
The leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar who opened the
discussion on the resolution said that despite the reservation having
been made almost 60 years ago the desired goal aimed at upliftment of
the SC and ST communities has not been met and the process of
extending the reservations has been continuing every decade. He said
that political reservation might not be practical in Goa.
Congress MLA and Aldona legislator, Mr Dayanand Narvekar said that UPA
has taken various steps for upliftment of downtrodden people,
including SC/ST communities and women, for whom a 33 per cent
reservation in all elected bodies was being made for. He said that
though the state had a ST population of around 30 per cent adequate
provisions have not been made for their development. He called for a
centralised agency to monitor implementation of programmes for welfare
of STs.
Mr Francisco D'Souza (BJP, Mapusa) said that if concerted efforts were
made the status of the SC/ST communities whose population was small
could be elevated over the next ten years and that there would not be
further need of extending similar benefits in future. He said that
reservations should not be just constitutional exercise.
The Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar said that despite all the
provisions aimed to protect the rights of the SC communities they
still continued to be discriminated, and brought to the notice of the
House that in his constituency special glasses/plates were used to
serve the SC people in some of the hotels.
At this point the Speaker, Mr Pratapsing Rane urged the Minister to
bring such cases to the notice of the government so that strict action
could be taken against the errant hoteliers. Mr Ramesh Tawadkar
(Poiguinim), Mr Vasudev Gaonkar (Sanguem), Mr Damodar Naik (Fatorda),
Mr Laxmikant Parsekar (Mandrem) all BJP, Mr Mauvin Godinho (Cortalim),
Mr Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbharjua), Ms Victoria Fernandes (St Cruz)
all Congress, and Mr Pandurang Dhavalikar participated in the
discussion.
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