The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Law & Justice for introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in Parliament.

In order to ensure that the Constitutional rights of the Scheduled Tribes in the State of Goa are safeguarded, it is imperative to enact a law to provide for enabling provisions empowering the Election Commission to make amendments in the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 and readjust the seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa for the Scheduled Tribes of the State.

The salient features of the proposed Bill are as under:-

(i) It empowers the Census Commissioner to ascertain and determine the population of the Scheduled Tribes in the State of Goa after taking into account the population figures of the tribes which have been declared as the Scheduled Tribes after publication of Census 2001. The Census Commissioner shall notify varied population figures as ascertained and determined in the Gazette of India and thereafter, such population figures shall be deemed to be final figures and supersede all previously published figures for the purpose of giving proportionate representation to the Scheduled Tribes as provided in articles 332 of the Constitution;

(ii) it empowers the Election Commission to make necessary amendments in the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 for the purpose of giving proper representation to the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of Goa by readjustment of constituencies in the Legislative Assembly;

(iii) the Election Commission shall take into consideration the revised population figures of the Scheduled Tribes and readjust the Legislative Assembly constituency having regard to the provisions of articles 170 and 332 of the Constitution and section 8 of the Delimitation Act, 2002;

(iv) for the purpose of the readjustment of Legislative Assembly constituencies, the Election Commission of India shall determine its own procedure and it will have certain powers of a civil court;

(v) it also empowers the Election Commission of India to publish in the Gazette the amendments made in the Delimitation Order and dates of its operation. The amended Delimitation Order shall not affect the constitution of the existing Legislative Assembly till dissolution;

(vi) the proposed Bill also empowers the Election Commission to make necessary correction of the errors in the said Delimitation Order

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