PANAJI The ‘Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribe of Goa’ (MPRSTG) on Wednesday failed to get the appointment of the President of India Droupadi Murmu due to her prior fixed schedule. MPRSTG delegation had sought President’s appointment requesting for her intervention in ensuring political reservation to Scheduled Tribe (ST) before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024.
As part of her schedule, Murmu, however, held an interaction with few members of the tribal community at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and others.
Speaking to The Goan, MPRSTG secretary Rupesh Velip said that due to her prior fixed schedule, their delegation could not get the appointment.
President says Goan tribes are better off than other states
Meanwhile, lauding the efforts initiated by the State government for the betterment of tribal communities, Murmu said that tribes from Goa are two-steps ahead as compared to their living in other States.
The President said that Goa perhaps is the only State in the country wherein Tribal portfolio is held by the Chief Minister of the State and exuded confidence that tribal community in Goa will never lack behind in terms of improving living conditions and bring them in the mainstream of the country.
“Tribal community should not think them self as inferior. Tribal community are life giver and conservator of our Forest, water and land,” the President is quoted in a press statement issued by the Directorate of Information and Publicity.
While sharing her experience of interaction with tribal communities across various States, the President said that she is happy to see that the tribal people from Goa are two steps ahead as compared to other states. “They are well-educated and are settled in professions like doctors, lawyers and are also seen engaged in business activities,” she said.
“Tribal are very different from other communities as they believe in living together in unity. We have to inculcate this value from this community,” she asserted as she advised the community to come into the mainstream and contribute for the betterment and welfare of the country.
Government working for betterment of tribals
Earlier speaking, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the government has been continuously working for the betterment of tribal community and approximately 17 schemes are made available from the Department of Tribal Welfare for their benefits.
He informed that over 1,221 sanads have been handed over to several beneficiaries under the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional Forest Dwellers under Forest Right Acts, 2006.
Sawant assured the tribal community that the statue of tribal leader Birsa Munda will be soon installed at Tribal Research Institute of Goa.
Also present on the occasion were Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Ramesh Tawadkar, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai, former deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar and officials of Tribal Department.
