MARGAO
“Chest pain” and “stomach upset” complaints by the Presiding officer and the reserve officer scuttled the much-anticipated election for the post of Rumdamol Sarpanch on Monday morning, following dramatic developments involving sudden illnesses of the two key election officials.
The suspense began early at the Rumdamol Panchayat office, where members of the five-member majority group had gathered by 10 am, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Block Development Officer (BDO)-appointed Presiding Officer, Dhaklu Gadi. The election process was set to begin at 10 am with the filing of nominations between 10:30 and 11 am.
However, by 10:30 am, there was still no sign of Gadi. Concerned, the Panchayat members contacted the Salcete Block Development Office, only to be informed that Gadi had been admitted to the South Goa District Hospital with complaints of chest pain.
As per standard procedure, the BDO had designated a reserve officer to step in if the Presiding Officer was unable to conduct the election. But hopes for a smooth backup were dashed when it emerged that the reserve officer, Sushant Shetye, had also reported sick, citing an upset stomach and informing the office he would not be reporting for duty on Monday.
With both key officials unavailable, all eyes turned to Salcete BDO Adarsh Desai, who arrived at the Panchayat office around 11:20 am.
Upon his arrival, BDO Desai explained that the election could not be held in the absence of both the Presiding Officer and the reserve staff. However, he added that if all members agreed, he had no objection to conducting the election himself. The proposal was complicated by the fact that the nomination window had officially closed at 11 am.
Opposition member Safiya Bi Shaikh promptly objected to any move to proceed with the process, pointing out that the time for filing nominations had lapsed, as per the official election notice dated July 29. In light of this objection, BDO Desai stated that the election could not proceed and that he would submit a detailed report to the Director of Panchayats for further directions and to fix a new election date.
When the majority group, led by Samuilla Faniband, questioned the legitimacy of the Presiding Officer's sudden illness, BDO Desai clarified that he had personally visited the South Goa District Hospital and confirmed Dhaklu Gadi’s admission for chest pain.
