Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said he is confident that the Supreme Court will overturn an interim stay by the Bombay High Court on the process of political reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the state. He made the remarks in Panaji, according to a report by Goemkarponn published on November 3.
Key points
- The Bombay High Court has put an interim stay on identifying and notifying ST population figures for political reservation in Goa.
- The Government of India will challenge the order before the Supreme Court, the Chief Minister said.
- The Goa Government and the ST Association have also filed intervention applications in the matter.
- Sawant reiterated that the government will make every effort to secure ST political reservation by 2027.
What the Chief Minister said
Mr Sawant said he expects the Supreme Court to set aside the High Court's interim order. The order stops the process of identifying and notifying the ST population figures that are needed for political reservation in Goa.
He said the Government of India will move the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision. He added that the state government and the ST Association have also filed intervention applications in the case. An intervention application is filed by a party that is not the main petitioner but wants to be heard in a matter.
Government's commitment on 2027
The Chief Minister repeated that the government is committed to the issue. He said every possible effort would be made to ensure that Scheduled Tribes in Goa get political reservation by 2027.
Why it matters
Political reservation for Scheduled Tribes would set aside seats for the community in elected bodies. The identification and notification of ST population figures is an important step in that process. The High Court's interim stay has paused this step, which is why the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge will be closely watched by the community and by political parties in the state.
What happens next
According to the Chief Minister, the Centre will approach the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The source report does not give a date for any hearing, and it does not detail the grounds on which the High Court granted the stay. Further developments will depend on how the Supreme Court responds to the challenge and to the intervention applications.
