MARGAO
Enrolment of migrants on the electoral rolls of Seraulim village dominated the proceedings of the gram sabha of Seraulim Panchayat on Sunday.
At the gram sabha meeting held on Sunday, agitated members demanded that the Panchayat write to the election officials to conduct re-verification of the electoral roll in Party 11 and 13 of the village panchayat.
Gram sabha member Kevin D’Souza said the Election Commission should ensure that voters are not registered at two places and in two states. The gram sabha members have called upon the Election Commission to put a full-proof mechanism in place wherein voters are automatically barred from being registered in two states.
A gram sabha member sought to blame the villagers for giving their premises on rent for the migrants, who later enrol their names on the electoral rolls.
Kevin, however, pointed out that care should be taken to ensure that the migrants do not register their names on the village electoral roll when they are voters in their respective native states.
Kevin later told the media that a group of villagers had recently identified list of migrant voters enrolled on the electoral roll. “This has been happening over the last 10-15 years wherein the names of migrants are conveniently enrolled on the electoral rolls. This is the reason why we get leaders who are elected by the migrants”, he said.
He added: “We have a 20-point programme housing colony in the village. Whenever elections are scheduled in Karnataka, Karnataka-registered buses come to the 20-point programme colony to transport the voters to their native states for voting. This should stop immediately. Election Commission must ensure that voters are not allowed to register at two places and in two states. We want democracy to flourish in the village and in the country”.
The grams sabha also discussed the issue of road side dumping of waste in the village. Members demanded that the panchayat initiate necessary action.
Members also questioned why Seraulim Panchayat has a part-time secretary, demanding that the panchayat write to the Salcete Block Development Officer and the government to send a full-time secretary.
Kevin informed that members of the Gram sabha also demanded that the government make solar energy mandatory for all homes.
