MARGAO
The Curtorim panchayat on Tuesday has suspected foul play over the manner in which the State Election Commission and its officials have gone about the panchayat ward delimitation exercise.
Addressing the media, Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues, Deputy Sarpanch Simon Barretto and former ZP member Moreno Rebello pointed out glaring anomalies in the delimitation exercise, demanding to know why the voters in the 11 panchayat wards are not distributed in a uniform manner.
In fact, the trio pointed out that each of the two proposed wards in the Maina area of Curtorim panchayat plays host to around 1,500 voters, while the voters in some of the wards are hovering around 500.
“Will the election officials explain the rationale behind the delimitation exercise being undertaken by the SEC? How come the voters are not evenly distributed all across the 11 panchayat wards?" they demanded to know.
They feared that the change in the number of wards would only ensure that wards now reserved will again be reserved as per the new reservations for the next five years.
Sarpanch Milagres has cautioned the election officials not to take the people for granted saying the people of Curtorim will be forced to come on to the streets to demand justice. The former ZP member asserted that a delegation of Curtorim villagers will call on the State Election Commission demanding justice, warning that the people will be forced to knock on the doors of the Judiciary to seek justice.
The Sarpanch suspected foul play in the delimitation exercise, demanding why the election officials have changed the numbers of the wards.
His deputy Simon Barretto pointed out that the election authorities have reduced the number of wards in the Maina area from three to two wards. In the draft delimitation, the two wards of Maina have voters around 1,514 and 1,455, respectively.
“Why only these two wards have voters around 1,500 each when others have only 500”, he questioned, suspecting the hand of a politician behind the exercise.
Moreno also pointed out that the election officials have adopted a pick and choose approach while preparing the draft.
In the past too, such manipulation has come to light when certain wards were reserved for OBC when there was hardly any population.
Moreno and Simon pointed out that the Maina ward of Curtorim qualifies for a separate panchayat given the number of the electorate.
“Now the time is not ripe to demand a separate panchayat for Maina, but at least the election officials should go for equal distribution of voters in all the 11 panchayat wards”, he demanded.
