Addl director has uphill task to clear 1,500 pending cases; with 40 cases listed for hearing every day, Colaco says 200 cases cleared so far
MARGAO
The next time you attend a hearing before the Additional Director of Panchayats, South, chances are there a long date of three months is given for the next date of hearing after an adjournment.
In fact, long hearing dates have become a norm than an exception at the office of the Additional Director of Panchayats. And, the reason is not far to seek. The pendency of cases have mounted to whopping 1,500-odd cases till date, even though Additional Director of Panchayats, South, Florina Colaco has cleared around 200 cases in the last two months.
A litigant from Salcete, who had gone in appeal before the Additional Director of Panchayats challenging the demolition of a structure by a panchayat body has claimed that the matter has been kept pending for order since 2022. In fact, it was pointed out that the matter has been heard and adjourned at least on 15 occasions since March 2022, indicating the extent of backlog of cases pending before the Additional Director of Panchayats.
If Additional Director of Panchayats, Florina Colaco, who has taken charge of office recently, is to be believed, around 40 cases are listed for hearing every day by her office. There are 1,500-odd cases pending before the Additional Director of Panchayats, overwhelming majority of cases pertaining to illegal constructions. Given the sheer number of pendency, the Additional Director of Panchayats has no option than to give a three-month date for the next date of hearing.
“Maybe there are about 1,500-odd cases pending in the office. Add to these cases around 40-50 new cases, which are filed by the litigants from across South Goa district,” she said.
She added: “I have managed to clear the pendency to some extent by disposing of around 200 cases after assuming office in the last two months. The cases cannot be disposed of arbitrarily, but after following the due process of law. But, we have to also take into account that around 40-50 cases are added to the pendency every month.”
Given the situation, litigants and lawyers have called for toning up the logistics, including manpower requirements at the office of Additional Director of Panchayats to ensure quick disposal of cases and to clear the pendency. If sources are to be believed, the office of Additional Director of Panchayats has a lone UDC and a gram sevak, besides a peon to handle the cases.
“While the Additional Director utilises the morning session to give dictations of the orders, cases are normally heard in the evening session. The available staff are tied up with the day to day routine work,” sources said.
Addl Director of P’yats dual charge questioned over pending cases
MARGAO: Strange it may sound but true that when the office of Additional Director of Panchayats, South is overburdened with disposal of pending cases, the government has given additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of South Goa Zilla Panchayat to incumbent Additional Director Florina Colaco.
The government had recently issued the order after the incumbent South Goa ZP CEO Gaurish Sankhwalkar has been appointed as Assistant Excise Commissioner.
Given the situation, Colaco is required to shuttle between the office of the Additional Director of Panchayats located at the South Goa District Collectorate and the ZP office housed at the Old South Goa Collectorate building. In a bid to manage the time, Colaco has now decided to make her presence at the South Goa Zilla Panchayat twice a week to oversee the administration and to attend to routine matters, throwing up questions how come the government has given the additional charge of ZP CEO to Colaco when her full time presence is required at the office of Additional Director of Panchayats in view of the mounting pendency of cases.
Incidentally, before Colaco was appointed as the Additional Director of Panchayats, South, she was presiding over the South Goa ZP as the Chief Executive Officer before she was shunted out around two months ago.
A citizen wondered the rationale behind giving the additional charge of South ZP CEO to Florina Colaco when she is required to work full time in the office of Additional Director of Panchayats. “When the pending cases are pegged over 1,500, is it fair that the Additional Director of Panchayats is given the additional responsibility of another department as the CEO,” a litigant wondered.
