PANAJI
The State government on Friday issued orders appointing government officials, mostly Junior Engineers from the PWD, WRD and Electricity Departments besides some Awal Karkuns and clerical staff from other departments to officiate as administrators of the 186 panchayats.
Separate orders were issued to appoint administrators for the panchayats in each of the 12 talukas (blocks).
The administrators will attend to their charge in their respective panchayats on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to run the day-to-day affairs and shoulder all other responsibilities of the local self-governing bodies at the village level.
The government has resorted to appointing administrators as the terms of the current panchayats end on June 18, Saturday. They will hold the charge until elections are held and new bodies appointed.
The State government deferred the elections as a recent Supreme Court judgement related to panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra had mandated an elaborate process, involving a triple test, for reservation of wards for OBCs.
These triple conditions are: Rigorous empirical inquiry into nature and implications of backwardness qua local bodies, within the state by a dedicated commission; making recommendations by the Commission on number of seats to be reserved for OBCs local body wise; ensuring seats reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs do not cumulatively exceed 50 per cent.
Meanwhile, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho said the government has 6 months to hold elections.
“The process of reservation of OBC wards by SEC with the help of Election Commission as per triple test mandated by Supreme Court as well as other election-related processes will be completed within 3 to 4 months, after that the elections will be held”, he said.
As SC has asked Maharashtra to hold elections after monsoons, in the same vein, we will also conduct our elections after monsoons, he said.
Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo, reacting to the appointment of administrators said government should have continued with existing Sarpanch as administrators instead of appointing government servants.
He further urged CM to direct administrators to address the issues of the common man sympathetically, without pointing fingers at the rule book.
“They should be asked to help the general public by simplifying procedures and taking instant decisions”, he said.
