PANAJI: Demanding an increase in the percentage of reservation for Dalits in government departments, Tourism Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar on Friday said that discrimination against Dalits still prevails in Goa.
Speaking during a function held on the occasion of the 126th birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Panaji, Azgaonkar said that with regard to the percentage of reservation which has been curtailed by court in medical and other institutions, the Goa government should provide more reservation on some or the other basis.
Stating that Dalits have reached a high level in society due to their hard work and sacrifice, Azgaonkar urged Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to protect the highly placed bureaucrats, who sometimes commit errors in their work.
“Top officers of Dalit community sometimes commit mistakes. I request the Chief Minister to support and give them a chance to improve and correct their mistakes and not take revenge, as we have seen in previous governments,” said Azgaonkar. He also requested Parrikar to intervene in some of the cases wherein Dalits were looked down upon in government offices.
Reacting to Azgaonkar’s claim that discrimination against Dalits still prevails in Goa, Parrikar asked him to bring to his notice the cases of injustice done to Dalits. “I have always seen the work of officers and not their caste or class. I never try to think or observe anyone’s last name. I will never differentiate and if injustice has been done, if brought to my notice, I will make sure that it is corrected,” said Parrikar.