MARGAO
Electoral Roll Observer for South Goa, appointed by the Election Commission of India, Sandeep Jacques, IAS, has said that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is a transparent process, but citizens must follow proper procedures while raising grievances or complaints.
He said that any citizen who feels aggrieved by the action of an election official is free to take legal steps if they believe a false complaint has been filed against them.
Jacques visited South Goa on Tuesday in connection with the SIR exercise. Representatives of recognised political parties, the District Election Officer (DEO), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) attended the meeting.
During the interaction, Congress leader Savio Coutinho raised the issue of an FIR registered against him by the Margao police in connection with an incident at the district library, Margao. Calling the complaint filed by the Additional Collector-II fake, Coutinho said he had not visited the district library for the past two months and questioned how the FIR was registered.
Responding to this, Jacques said that an FIR is only a complaint and does not mean that a person has been found guilty. “It is for the police to decide whether the complaint is false. However, any citizen has the right to take action against an authority if they believe a false FIR has been filed,” he said.
He added that while the SIR process is transparent, it is important to follow the laid-down protocol. “If an authority feels there has been a violation of duty, they may act. But if the complaint is false, citizens are free to proceed legally against the authority if any wrongdoing has occurred,” Jacques said.
