Goa tribals block road, rail:pending demands

PANAJI:Tribals in Goa today took to the streets blocking the national highway at three crucial places and disrupting railway traffic on the busy Konkan railway route to demand implementation of the Tribal Forest Act and reservation in government jobs.

Around 10,000 activists of United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) laid siege to several vital sections on the National Highway-17. The tracks were also blocked at Balli Railway Station, 60 kms South of Panaji.

Konkan Railway corporation Limited (KRCL) officials said train traffic was severely affected due to the agitation.

The Delhi Rajadhani Express was stopped at Madgao Railway Station while several trains were halted at different points. Roads were blocked at Karmal Ghat and Khola in Canacona taluka, few kilometers away from Karnataka border.

The tribals are demanding that their long pending issues should be solved immediately without any further delay.

Their list of 12 demands include issues like formation of ST Commission, implementation of Tribal Forest Act and reservation in government jobs among others.

"The state government is playing with the sentiments of the tribals. We protested twice in past and both the times government dished out assurances which were never fulfilled. Now we will clear the roads only when government fulfils its promises," UTAA President Prakash Velip said from the agitation site.

Goa has approximately 12 per cent population classified as Scheduled Tribe (ST) who are living in the rural talukas of Quepem, Canacona, Sanguem and Sattari.

UTAA had protested on December 16, 2009 and January 5, 2010 but relented after Kamat conceded to their demands.