Porvorim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant told the assembly on Tuesday that the process to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the state’s Gouly-Dhangar community is still under way, and said it is a misconception that the process has been cancelled. He also said the Bhandari Samaj’s demand for a quota within the OBC quota is being examined.Sawant was responding after Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai raised the issue during Question Hour.“Dhangar community ST reservation is under consideration, and the process has started again. They thought it would be stopped; it has not. It is in process. For the Bhandari Squota within quota, talks are on with the OBC commission,” Sawant said.When other Goa communities — Gauda, Kunbi, and Velip — were granted ST status, the Dhangar community was not included.Goa govt’s proposal seeking ST status for the Gouly-Dhangar community was rejected for the second time after the Registrar General of India declined to endorse it again in March 2026. Union ministry of tribal affairs rejected the proposal, citing the lack of support from the office of the Registrar General of India.Meanwhile, the Bhandari community is seeking a quota within the OBC quota, arguing that its population is much larger than other OBC communities and that it should receive a larger share of the reservation.
