MARGAO
When six members of the Varca village panchayat voted out the Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch on December 22, little did they realize that they would be made to wait till one amongst them made it to the coveted post.
It’s now 13 days since the Sarpanch Anthony Reginaldo Rodrigues and Deputy Vincentina Fernandes were voted out of office, and the Varca panchayat is still under the rule of a government-appointed administrator.
While it is understandable that the panchayat would automatically come under an administrator with both the Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch voted out of office, questions are doing the rounds in Varca why the Director of Panchayats, Narayan Gad, has still not issued any process for the election of a new Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch.
A panchayat member, who was one of the signatories to the motion, said it is unfortunate that the panchayat is being ruled by the government via an administrator when there’s an elected body in place.
“We understand that an administrator has been appointed as a stop-gap arrangement pending the election of a new sarpanch and deputy, but we are baffled why the Panchayat Director has to date note issued any notice to fill up the vacant posts,” the member wondered.
Another member pointed out that the rules mandate that the Panchayat Director must call for the election of the sarpanch within 60 days from the time the incumbent one is voted out of office. What he has, however, failed to understand is why the Panchayat Director is taking his own time to fill up the vacant posts to date.
“Nothing stops the Panchayat Director from issuing a notice to fill up the two vacant posts,” the member said and demanded to know whether he was waiting for the 60 days period to call for an election.
He added: “The Panchayat Director may take the alibi that he has time till 60 days to issue the notice calling for the election. But in the bargain, the government is only causing a delay in the election for the two posts.”
Six members of the Varca VP, namely Crosly Charton Jose Lourenco, Rosario Leao Cardozo, Shalini Pereira, Tercy D’Costa, Francisco Fernandes and Romeu Pereira had tabled the no-confidence motion against the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch.
