PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday dismissed a petition that challenged the State government's decision to delegate powers of ward delimitation in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA).
The petition, filed by former CCP corporator Menino da Cruz, had sought to quash an amendment to the City of Panaji Corporation Act, 2002, arguing that it diluted the authority of the State Election Commission (SEC) and undermined the independence of the electoral process.
“The amendment, notified in the Official Gazette in February 2005 and made effective retrospectively from September 24, 2004, has removed the role of an independent body like the SEC. This has resulted in unchecked manipulation of ward boundaries to benefit specific political parties or groups,” the petition stated.
During the hearing, the petitioner argued that the responsibility of delimiting wards should lie solely with the SEC to ensure transparency and neutrality in the electoral process.
The State government, however, defended the amendment, asserting that there is no statutory provision mandating that delimitation must be carried out exclusively by the State Election Commission. It maintained that such powers can be assigned to other authorities, including the DMA. The Court accepted the government’s position and dismissed the petition.
