PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has reserved its order on a petition challenging the State government’s decision to let the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) carry out ward delimitation in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
Filed by former CCP corporator Menino da Cruz, the petition argues that this power should rest with the State Election Commission (SEC) to ensure free and fair elections.
He said the 2005 amendment to the City of Panaji Corporation Act, made effective retrospectively, removed the SEC’s role and opened the door to political manipulation. The State, however, defended the amendment, arguing that the law does not restrict delimitation powers only to the SEC.