OLD GOA
Three days after St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar demanded a full-time secretary for Azossim-Mandur panchayat, the Director of Panchayats (DoP) has given additional charge of the panchayat to the secretary holding charge of Pirna panchayat in Bardez.
What makes this decision unusual is that while the Pirna panchayat is at one end of Bardez taluka, the Azossim-Mandur panchayat is at the other end of Tiswadi taluka, a distance of about 41 km.
In the order issued by DoP Siddhi Halarnakar, the panchayat secretary of Pirna Keshav Phadte has been given an additional charge of Mandur panchayat with immediate effect until further orders.
It may be recalled that MLA Borkar, after receiving complaints from the public over the absence of a secretary, had visited the Mandur panchayat on Monday and demanded a full-time secretary be posted to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
When asked to comment on the decision to post a secretary from far away Pirna panchayat with the additional charge of Mandur panchayat, MLA Borkar said: “The important thing at this point of time is to get files of the public cleared, as they have been pending since 15-20 days.”
“There are many files pending pertaining to availing of schemes as also the issuance of certificates and the same have to be cleared on an urgent basis,” Borkar added.
To another question that the secretary has been only given an additional charge and not posted full-time as demanded, Borkar said he has no issues with it at the moment.
“I have been given assurance that a full-time secretary will be posted at Mandur panchayat and I will follow up on the issue,” he added.
When contacted, Mandur Sarpanch Ajit Bacal also expressed happiness that the panchayat has been allotted a new secretary as it would help solve the problems faced by the public.
“But I am hoping that the secretary is posted on a permanent basis,” Bacal stated.
