the goan I network
MARGAO
Even as the government is bracing up to hold the Zilla Panchayat polls on March 15, the post of the Returning Officer-II designated to oversee elections for the four seats of Salcete taluka is yet to be filled up till date.
While the offices of the two Returning Officers are presently on the job to update the electoral rolls ahead of the March 15 polling, the post of second returning officer remains vacant and the charge is being held by the Returning Officer-I Vishal Kundaikar.
It’s now over a fortnight now since Kundaikar, who was Margao Deputy Collector-II, was posted as Deputy Collector-I by the government, giving him the additional charge of Deputy Collector-II and the office of Administrator of Comunidade.
With the Zilla Panchayats fast approaching and the work of updating the electoral rolls currently in progress in Salcete taluka, expectations were high that the government will appoint a full-fledged Deputy Collector-II for Margao who has been designated as the Returning Officer-II by the State Election Commission.
While the failure of the government to fill up the vacancy with a full-fledged officer has had a telling effect on the revenue cases, with adjournments being the order of the day, there seems to be no hurry on the part of the government to appoint a full-fledged Deputy Collector-II to oversee the revenue cases as well as the ongoing election work.
Litigants, in particular, pointed out that since a lone officer is holding charge of both Deputy Collector-I & II, it is, but, obvious that the office will have to either hear revenue cases in one court and adjourn matters in the other court. “In the absence of a full-fledged Deputy Collector-II, quasi-judicial cases have been the worst hit in the court,” remarked an official in the know.
With around 35 days to go for the March 15 ZP polls, senior officials are keeping their fingers crossed and now hope that the government will fill up the vacant post early
next week.
