MAPUSA
Without waiting for the order of the North Goa Collector, the Candolim panchayat declared the village as a major containment zone while Calangute and Arpora-Nagoa panchayat enforced a “lockdown” in its areas from Thursday noon to contain the rapid rise of Covid-19 cases.
In a special meeting of the panchayat body, the Candolim village panchayat discussed the steep rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths in the village and passed a resolution to impose a partial lockdown and declare the jurisdiction of the village as a major containment zone.
“In order to control the rising Covid-19 cases and deaths, it was unanimously resolved as per Section 62 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act to impose a partial lockdown and declare Candolim as a major containment zone,” said Blaize Fernandes, Sarpanch of Candolim.
The order further goes to declare the containment zone for a period of 11 days from 12 pm of April 29 to 6 am on May 9.
It then jots down a long list of what is allowed to operate with certain restrictions, what is not allowed to operate and what is allowed to operate for the period of the containment zone.
The Calangute panchayat was more conservative in its approach by issuing a public notice imposing the same restrictions in the village as Candolim and Arpora-Nagao panchayats have done, but without using the words of “lockdown” and “containment zone” in the notice.
“The general public are informed that in view of the rapid rise of Covid-19 cases and in order to contain the spread of the said pandemic, certain prevention and remedial measures are required to be taken for all trade establishments, villagers and public in the jurisdiction of Calangute village,” said the public notice signed by Shawn Martins, Calangute Sarpanch.
It then lists down the same conditions as the Candolim village of what is allowed and what not to operate in the village.
Martins informed that the North Goa Collector had not issued the order but the panchayat was going ahead to implement the lockdown as per the provision of the Panchayat Raj Act.
“Section 19 (2) under schedule 1 of Panchayat Raj Act list the functions and responsibilities of the village pancahayat on steps to be taken on prevention and remedial measures against an epidemic. We are reading it with section 62 to promote the wellbeing of the people,” Martins said.
The Arpora-Nagoa panchayat could not come out with the order simply because the secretary was not present in its panchayat body meeting.
“We could not come out with an official order as our secretary visits our panchayat every alternate day,” said Rajesh Morajkar, Sarpanch of Arpora-Nagoa.
A senior official in the administration informed that declaring an area as a containment zone was the prerogative of the District Collector.
“No panchayat can declare an area a containment zone or impose a lockdown. But since the Covid cases are shooting up and in the interest of the public, such measures may be required,” the senior officer informed.
It may be recalled there was a hue and cry at the start of the pandemic last year when several panchayats unilaterally began to announce lockdowns within its jurisdiction which were then immediately shot down by the government.
