PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday questioned the State Election Commission’s haste in finalising ward delimitation for municipal elections, asking how 77 objections across 12 municipalities could have been considered and disposed of in a single day.
The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar directed the Commission to rectify the errors in the process. It also ordered that the entire file, including the maps, scrutiny reports and orders disposing of the objections, be submitted to the State government by Friday, or Monday at the latest.
The court further directed the Commission and the State to complete the process of effective consultation within 15 days.
During the hearing, the Bench expressed concern over transparency and that errors in the delimitation exercise had left aggrieved citizens with little time to seek legal recourse. It also questioned why key dates were not reflected in the Commission’s affidavit. The Commission submitted to the court that it received the final objection on August 24 and forwarded the file to the Deputy Collector on August 26. The maps were received back on September 2. The Commission then considered and resolved 77 objections on September 3 and forwarded the final file on September 4, before issuing the ward delimitation notification on September 9.
The Bench made it clear that its criticism was not without basis. “We are not finding fault without reason,” the court observed, making clear that errors had occurred in the process. It said the State government had a vast administrative machinery and must ensure that such mistakes were not repeated, while also ensuring an equitable ward structure. The court said it would pass a final order after examining the Commission’s subsequent actions and the rectified process.
