Four Administrators in last six months; unclear if transfers stem from government decisions or officials lobbying for exit
MARGAO
Strange it may seem but true that Administrators to the South Goa Comunidade zone are frequently shunted out and transferred by the government, leaving the comunidade administration crippled – when the body is required to oversee functioning of as many as 90 comunidade bodies.
Blame it on government’s apathy or simply the unwillingness of the government officials to preside over the office for reasons unknown, the office has already seen four Administrators come and go by June this year, raising serious concerns about continuity and effective governance.
Consider this: by June this year, the South Goa Comunidade office had already seen four Administrators, raising questions about whether the current officer will serve at least a year or also be shunted out like his predecessors.
It could not be confirmed whether it’s the government that is behind the transfers of the Administrators or the officers who lobby with the government and pull the right strings to seek transfer from South Zone.
Inquiries have revealed that Administrator Mangaldas Gaonkar who was appointed the Administrator, South Goa presided over the office till mid-January. After his transfer, the government posted Ganesh Barve as the new administrator of the South Goa Comunidade body.
Interestingly, Barve was shunted out of office in early May and was replaced by Abhijit Nikam. During Nikam’s short stint of one month, he was instrumental in setting in motion the process to the 30 comunidade bodies, which did not hold elections for lack of quorum. However, before he could dispose of the show cause notices issued to the 30 comunidade bodies, Nikam was transferred on June 26.
His successor Prajeet Chodankar has now a task cut out to take the process of recommending to the government to declare the comunidade bodies as defunct after following the laid down process.
President of Margao Comunidade, Savio Correia slammed the government for the frequent transfers of the Administrators of South Goa Comunidade body, saying the frequent transfers of Administrators does not augur well for the comunidade bodies across South Goa.
“How can we expect a good administration when the officers are shunted out of office even before they could settle down and understand the Comunidade Code and the powers and functions? This certainly does not bode well for the comunidade bodies,” he said.
He added: “The fact that South Goa Administrator of Comunidades has played host to as many as four Administrators in the first half of the calendar year showed in the administrative instability. How can we expect the presiding officers to understand their work and dispense justice?”
Comunidade components in the know say the frequent transfers of Administrators of the South Goa Comunidade body aren’t something new. “Transfers of the Administrator have virtually become a norm than an exception, paralysing the Comunidade administration. We have not only seen officers transferred within months of their posting, but officers holding charge of other departments as Administrators,” remarked a component.
He added: “With illegalities on comunidade land on the scanner of the High Court in the suo moto Public Interest Litigation. It is high time the government stops the practice of frequent transfers of the Administrators of South Comunidade zone, to ensure that the High Court directions are implemented in both letter and spirit.”
30 comunidades get 2-week reprieve to file replies
MARGAO: Members of the South Goa Comunidade Forum have prevailed upon the Administrator, South Zone Prajeet Chodankar to extend time for the 30 comunidade bodies to file their replies to the show cause notices.
Finally relenting to the requests made by the Forum, the Administrator has given two weeks for the 30 comunidade bodies which did not hold the election for lack of quorum.
Of the 90 comunidade bodies in South Zone, the 30 comunidade bodies could not hold the election for lack of quorum. The Administrator had then set in motion the process to recommend to the government to declare the comunidade bodies as defunct.
President of Margao Comunidade Savio Correia told the media that the members of the South Goa Comunidade Forum have convinced the newly-appointed South Goa Comunidade Administrator to grant time of 15 days for the 30 comunidade bodies to file their replies, a suggestion which has been accepted by the Administrator.
