MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who initially tried to take the wind out of the Opposition’s sails on the OBC reservation, landed in hot water after some ruling BJP members picked holes in the reservation process leaving the government red-faced on the floor of the House.
A belligerent opposition also stuck to its script slamming the State government for doing injustice to the OBC community by deliberately trying to delay the panchayat election and later forcing people to go to court.
BJP’s Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar drew first blood, stating that panchayat elections got delayed because of the OBC reservation and the data collated by the OBC commission was false.
He also said the State Election Commission (SEC) messed up while fixing the OBC reservation in several areas.
“The data submitted by the OBC commission to the SEC is wrong and that is why there is all this confusion. This has forced people to approach the courts. The OBC reservation should be done in proper percentage,” Gaonkar said, at the Question Hour while holding discussion on the reservation of wards for panchayat elections.
Seconding him was BJP MLA from Navelim, Ulhas Tuenkar who said the SEC has created a lot of confusion with the reservation process putting people in a quandary.
“Last time in one of my panchayats two wards were reserved under the OBC. This time there is none,” Tuenkar informed.
He said it appears the Director of Panchayats did a better job than the SEC over OBC reservation.
The Opposition members pointed out that contrary to the government’s perception it was members of the BJP who were more upset with the OBC reservation.
“An office bearer of BJP, Tulshidas Naik says injustice is done to the OBC in Sancoale panchayat and that the SEC should give justice to the panchayat. Naik is not from the opposition. He is the BJP South Goa chief,” said Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, further rubbing salt in the wound.
Sardesai said the government was caught napping and had to scurry to do the triple test and announce the OBC reservation after the intervention of the courts.
Leader of Opposition, Michael Lobo said wrong data was provided to the OBC commission and accused the government of playing a fraud on the people of Goa while declaring the OBC reservation.
“The OBC commission has not done this survey. The data has been obtained from panchayat clerks and sub-staff. Government has played mischief and injustice has been done on the OBC community,” Lobo said.
Pointing to glaring discrepancies in the reservation process, Velim MLA Cruz Silva said in Ambelim panchayat there is OBC population but not once ward was reserved for OBC while in Sarzora panchayat there is no OBC population and yet one ward was reserved for OBC there.
“We now don’t have an OBC candidate to contest in Sarzora. Don’t know how the survey of OBC is done,” Silva wondered aloud.
Earlier, St Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes slammed the government for trying to delay the panchayat polls and later goofing up with the OBC reservation forcing people to approach the court.
“People had to go to court because your reservation policy is not proper. Without the OBC reservation in place, how was the election declared?” Fernandes questioned.
He said the government delayed in declaring the OBC reservation only because it wanted to hold the elections at a later date.
In the beginning of the discussion, the CM took exception to the absence of Congress MLA Rudolf Fernandes, who had tabled the question on reservation.
“I think the Congress is not serious about reservation. Congress was only doing a show. If they were at all concerned then the member would have been present in the House. We are concerned about reservation therefore we carried out the OBC reservation,” Sawant said.
