A total of 13 out of 25 wards of the Margao Municipal Council have been notified in the reserved category in the ensuing civic polls, even as Margao MLA Digambar Kamat hit out at the reservation of Margao municipal wards unveiled by the Director of Municipal Administration, terming the exercise as "one-sided" that is aimed at benefitting the ruling party.
Of the 13 reserved seats, eight seats are reserved for women, including three for the OBCs and five in general category. Contrary to expectations that the ST community will get only one reserved seat in the Margao Municipality, DMA apparently did a late re-think and maintained the two seats for the community. In fact, Ward 4 and 7 have been reserved for STs, while ward 11, 14 and 24 stands reserved for OBCs. Unlike in the past, OBCs have got six reserved seats in ward No 3, 9 and 15 for women and 11, 14 and 24 for the general OBC in view of the 27 per cent reservation for the community. Wards which have been reserved for women in the general category area Ward no 1, 6, 12, 18 and 21.
A glance at the reservation statistics revealed that the seat held by sitting councillor Damu Shirodkar has been reserved for women. Damu is now planning to contest from ward No 22. Similarly, the seats held by Councilor Doris Texeira ad Rosy Pereira have now been reserved for the OBCs.
The exercise has further revealed that while Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai had planned to field a Muslim candidate from Chandrawaddo, the ward have since been reserved for the ST community. Sitting Councillor Raju Naik will play yet another innings from Pajifond as the DMA did not deem fit to reserve the seat for women this time too, while ward 1 comprising Mungul-Madel has been reserved for women after 25 years.
Sources said the husband-wife duo of Savio and Pratima Coutinho find themselves in a comfortable position with both wards 16 and 20 being notified for the general category. While former chairperson Savio Coutinho will contest the election, wife Pratima is likely to take a call in the next few days.
Kamat told 'The Goan' that the reservation is one-sided and is intended to help the ruling party.
“The exercise has been done in such a way so as to dilute the presence of the sitting councillors opposed to the ruling dispensation,” he said.
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Outcry in Cuncolim
: Outcry by citizens forced the Director of Municipal Administration to reserve ward 10 of Cuncolim Municipal Council for women in the general category as against the proposal to reserve the ward for women OBC.
The DMA apparently did a re-think after citizens from the ward made a representation to DMA and Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik since there are hardly any OBC people in the newly-carved ward No 10 comprising Dandora-Murida.
A glance at the statistics revealed that a total of six wards out of 12 have been reserved in the coming election. These include four seats for women, including two for women OBC. The Scheduled Tribe community has been allotted reservation in ward 1, while ward 5 has been reserved for OBC.
Seats for women in the general category include ward 10 and 11, while wards reserved for OBC women includes ward 4 and 8. Ward 5 has been reserved for the OBC.
