Margao: The scheduled tribe community of Goa on Saturday said they will launch a statewide movement if the Centre fails to issue the notification to bring the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025, into force.Tribal organisations under the banner of Mission Political Reservation said their patience was wearing thin. “The responsibility for any widespread public unrest arising from such continued inaction will rest entirely with those responsible for delaying implementation of this Parliamentary enactment,” said John Fernandes, president of the organisation, in Panaji.The warning came after a deadline set following a June 7 meeting between a delegation led by chief minister Pramod Sawant and Union home minister Amit Shah lapsed without any official communication, despite an assurance of a decision within 10–15 days.Tribal welfare minister Ramesh Tawadkar had earlier said, “The day govt takes a negative stand, we will explore other options to press for the demand.”The act, which has received presidential assent, has remained inoperative for over ten months for a central govt notification to come into force.Mission Political Reservation demanded that the notification be issued and the reservation process completed before the model code of conduct of the 2027 assembly elections. The community also flagged objections from sections of the Kshatriya Maratha Samaj and Bhandari Samaj as politically motivated attempts to stall a constitutional right.
