PORVORIM
Public outcry and directives from the election commission compelled the Reis Magos panchayat to postpone its fortnightly meeting on Thursday at 10.30 am
According to sources, the Reis Magos panchayat had convened the meeting to discuss and decide on a number of issues and one of them included the allotment of house numbers to around 40 residents in Ramnagar-Betim.
A number of houses have been allegedly built by migrants at Ramnagar with the support of politicians and locals claimed that these houses have now become the vote bank of politicians. During elections, politicians try to fulfil the wishes of these migrants to garner votes.
“The Reis Magos panchayat may have decided to allot house numbers to these residents to please the voters of Ramnagar,” said Reis Magos Panch Sheilendra Parulekar.
Incidentally, Reis Magos Sarpanch Kedar Naik is the Congress candidate in the Saligao constituency.
Locals complained that convening such a panchayat meeting when the election code of conduct is in force amounts to a violation of the code, but the panchayat had gone ahead and had planned to hold its meet on Thursday.
A notice of this meeting went viral on social media, triggering outrage among the locals. Following a complaint from locals, the election commission directed the panchayat to cancel the meeting and acting on the EC directives, the Reis Magos panchayat postponed the meeting which was scheduled for Thursday.
