Panaji, Aug 6 (PTI) The Union government on Thursday notified the Act that grants political reservation for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community in the 40-member Goa legislative Assembly.
This operationalization of the Act passed earlier by Parliament means four seats for tribal candidates will be reserved in the Goa Assembly for the first time.
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification stating that “in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025(21 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints August 06, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.” Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to expedite the process of reservation for the ST community in the Assembly, which will go to polls early next year.
He welcomed the move to enforce the law.
Sawant wrote on X, “A promise kept. I warmly welcome the coming into force of the ST Assembly Representation Act from today. With the Act now in force, Goa moves decisively towards reserving Assembly seats for our ST communities; long-overdue justice for our tribal brothers and sisters.” “Deep gratitude to Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, and Honorable HM Shri Amit Shah ji. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” the CM further added.
Tribal leader and BJP MLA Govind Gaude called it a big victory of social justice movement.
“It is a big victory of social justice movement. It is a victory of the revolution. The strength in the revolution is reflected here. It can make impossible things, possible,” remarked Gaude, who was part of a pressure group that had urged the Goa government to expedite the process of political reservation for tribals ahead of the 2027 polls.
The process of reservation should start now taking into consideration population data of Assembly constituencies and then it is for the Election Commission to implement the People’s Representation Act, he said. PTI RPS RSY
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