PANAJI
The State Election Commissioner W V Ramanamurthy has announced that elections to the 186 village panchayats in the State will be held in the last week of May.
Ramanamurthy said the decision to time the elections in the last week of May has been taken in view of the onset of monsoons and reopening of schools in June.
Meanwhile, the ongoing process of delimitation of panchayat wards has evoked 913 suggestions for modification of ward limits as projected in the draft delimitation of wards.
The SEC said these suggestions -- 650 in North Goa and 263 in South Goa -- will now be scrutinised and corrections incorporated before finalising the delimitation.
Most of these suggestions dealt with changes in serial number of wards, duplication of household numbers in multiple wards, natural boundaries and geographical contiguity of the wards and proximity to polling booths.
“All suggestions are being considered and the hearings will go on till March 12,” Ramanamurthy said.
The ward delimitation drafts across the State were made public on February 24 simultaneously inviting suggestions for changes at Mamlatdar offices. March 4 was the last date to submit the suggestions and modifications.
Election Registration Officers and their assistants have now been set a March 14 deadline to incorporate the changes based on the merit of the suggestions/modifications and submit the final draft to the SEC.
The modified Delimitation draft will then be sent by the SEC to the State government for comments and approval latest by April 4.
The final delimitation draft is set for publication in the official gazette on April 11 and the ward reservation scheme on April 12 so that the elections can be held in the last week of May.
The SEC said the ward reservation scheme has been entrusted to the Directorate of Panchayats which is to be done on the basis of SC, ST and OBC population data.
