MARGAO
The future of four Rumdamol village panchayat members”recently disqualified by the Salcete Block Development Officer (BDO)”will be decided by the South Goa District Court on Saturday.
Both the disqualified members and the rival group in the panchayat are waiting for clarity on two key points: whether the court will stay the BDO’s order, and whether the four members will be allowed to vote in the Sarpanch election set for August 4.
Additional Sessions Judge Pooja Kavlekar has reserved her order on the plea filed by the four members, who include former Sarpanch Mubina Faniband, Samiulla Faniband, Mustafa Dodmani and Zubeda Agasar.
They have challenged the BDO’s order which barred them from taking part in any executive work of the panchayat with immediate effect.
The court’s ruling is significant as the Director of Panchayats has issued a notice calling for a meeting on August 4 to elect a new Sarpanch.
Sources said the court’s order, to be delivered in open court on Saturday, will directly affect Monday’s election. If the court upholds the BDO’s disqualification, the four members will not be allowed to vote. This will give the opposition group in the nine-member body a clear path to elect their candidate as Sarpanch.
However, if the court sets aside or stays the BDO’s order, the four members will regain their voting rights. The ruling group, which includes these four and one more member, would then have the majority needed to elect their own Sarpanch.
This situation became more complicated on July 29, when the Panchayat Director issued the election notice”just a day after the BDO disqualified the four members. The timing of the notice is important for two reasons: first, it came right after the disqualification; and second, it was issued on the 60th day after Mubina Faniband resigned as Sarpanch on May 29.
According to Goa Panchayat Rules, the Panchayat Director must call for a new election within 60 days of a Sarpanch’s resignation.
