MARGAO
Will the authorities come out with a specific SOP for the ensuing election for the Margao Municipal Council with major political players moving around with huge groups of supporters in the wards to drum up support for the respective candidates?
This assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of a surge in the number of Covid cases in the commercial capital. It is not out of place to mention here that even a popular restaurant had to be shut down after it reported around 10 cases of Coronavirus last week.
It is an open secret that huge groups of supporters, in groups ranging from 50-100 persons, have been found moving around the houses of voters in support of their candidatures. They have been found visiting each and every household with a plea to vote for their candidates, posing a Covid risk.
Sources in the South Goa District Collectorate informed that no SOP has yet been unveiled by the district administration to date, adding that they are waiting for the government to take a call on the sensitive issue.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Council for Margao has implored on the office of the South Goa Collector to make an order restricting political parties from aiding the spread of the coronavirus within the community with immediate effect.
In a petition, SCM drew the attention of the District Collector that the election process for Margao civic elections has not yet commenced, yet it has been noticed that certain political parties are gathering in big numbers to campaign in the areas of Fatorda and Margao.
“It is apparent that the order under Section 144 of the Cr PC is only limited to restricting crowding during the celebrations of Holi, Easter and Eid. However, it is our submission that restrictions are the need of the hour even in other activities that encourage crowding without proper use of masks and with no social distancing,” the petition added.
Moreover, the SCM made a sincere appeal that political parties be restricted from moving around and inside the communities to campaign for their candidates in view of the upcoming elections.
“At this time Shadow Council for Margao has also fielded candidates to contest the said elections. However, the candidates being responsible regarding the pandemic as also having regard for the life and health of people of their ward have consciously avoided moving within the community. However, it is noted that the same discretion is regrettably not observed by persons in power,” the NGO added.
“It is noteworthy that the elections to the municipalities in Goa were postponed citing the pandemic. Today we are faced with the same rise in cases and the political parties are jeopardizing the life and health of the people for their personal gains. It is the need of the hour to curb all such campaigns.”
It is alarming that the Covid cases and deaths are rising and the State is burdened with the careless attitude of the people which is the reason why the above-referred order was made. It is the need of the hour to restrict election-related crowding in Margao municipal area without any delay in the interest of protecting the people. We do not have any personal axe to grind with any particular party, as such do not wish to name any,” the petition added.
