MAPUSA
After tasting success in the ZP polls, the State government has now set its eyes on the imminent civic elections and is planning to carry out fresh delimitation of municipal wards by a legislative exercise.
The government is exploring the idea of amending the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 to increase the number of wards and consequently hold a delimitation exercise in B class municipalities ostensibly to accommodate some political cronies.
The move has gained traction after Deputy Chief Minister and Quepem MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar moved a note to the office of the Minister of Urban Development, demanding delimitation of wards in municipalities.
The Dy CM has proposed certain amendments to the Goa Municipalities Act and further suggested that the delimitation of the wards may be decided based on the last updated list of voters available before notification of the elections and not on Census related data.
It may be noted that the delimitation exercise has always been carried out as per the population recorded by the last available Census data.
If the proposal for increase in wards is accepted, then the number of wards of some B class councils is set to rise.
The number is expected to increase by two wards in B class municipalities of Quepem, Cuncolim, Canacona and Bicholim and by one ward in Curchorem-Cacora civic body.
There will be no changes in the A class municipalities of Margao, Mormugao and Mapusa and C class civic bodies of Pernem, Sanguem and Valpoi.
The department of urban development has moved a note requesting the law department whether the proposal to amend the criteria for creation of wards and the consequent delimitation and reservation of wards on the basis of voters/electors in the municipal area was in consonance with the Constitutional provisions.
The department has also asked the finance department to examine the proposal as it will have financial implications in terms of honorarium to the councillors.
Interestingly, the government had already finished the exercise of delimitation for all the 11 civic bodies and the number of councillors to be elected has also been notified in the official gazette in June.
In a recent writ petition, the High Court had directed the Directorate of Municipal Administration to issue necessary notification of reservation of wards within a period of four weeks from Nov 4, 2020.
The government has now sought more time as the four week period has elapsed.
The department of urban development has also sought advice from the law department whether the exercise of delimitation which has been completed and duly notified in the Official Gazette can be revisited.
The Director of Municipal Administration, Tariq Thomas chose to remain mum, when asked whether the government was planning to increase the wards and hold the delimitation process.
“No comments,” said Thomas, refusing to share any details.
