MARGAO
The BJP-backed Margao Municipal Council averted a tedious and cumbersome election process for the municipality’s statutory panels by accommodating the interest of the Goa Forward-backed opposition on Friday.
Elections for the statutory committees were scheduled on Friday. The election had come under focus against the backdrop of the battle between the two parties to wrest control of the civic body just around a month ago.
Around Friday noon, it was clear that the opposition group in the civic body was out to extract its pound of flesh. By 1 pm, it became further evident that a contest was on the cards as the office of Chief Officer Manuel Barretto received nomination forms for the two panels. For, as far as the standing committee was concerned, the Chief Officer received seven nominations for the six posts, while the subjects committee received five forms for the four seats.
A glance at the nomination papers revealed that the BJP-backed group was willing to concede two posts on the standing panels to the opposition and one slot on the subjects committee.
As things turned out at the time of scrutiny, the nomination of Goa Forward-backed councillor Vitorino Tavares was rejected since the name of the proposer Ganashyam Shirodkar was not spelt correctly as per the name in the official gazette. Resultantly, Chairperson Damu Shirodkar, the presiding officer notified under the Act to conduct elections for the statutory panels, declared elected unopposed Ronita Ajgaonkar, Shweta Lotlikar, Lata Pednekar, Milagrina Gomes, all from the BJP group and Joanes Francis and Nimisha Faleiro from the Goa Forward on the panel.
When the election for the subject committee was taken up by the Chairperson, he had five nominations for the four posts, including Raju Naik, Damodar Varak, Mahesh Amonkar, all from the BJP and Sunita Paradkar and Johnny Crasto from the Goa Forward.
After the Chairperson gave 15 minutes for the withdrawal, BJP councillor Damodar Varak withdrew, paving the way to accommodate another Goa Forward councillor on the panel and facilitating the election without a contest.
Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar and Ganashyam thanked Varak for his gesture, saying he has helped to avert a cumbersome poll procedure.
The Chairperson said the names of the Sanitation Committee and the garden committee will be put in place. He said the councillors were unanimous in their opinion that BJP councillor Camilo Barreto should head the sanitation committee.
