PANAJI
Already accused of manipulating the delimitation and reservation of wards, the State government and the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) was on Friday caught red-faced when former councillor Nelson Cabral confronted them with the 'erroneous' exclusion or deletion of his name and some 60-odd others from the electoral roll notified for the ensuing polls.
Nelson, a former councillor of CCP met DMA director, Dr Tarique Thomas, and questioned the absence of his name and those of at least 60 others in either of the newly delimited Wards 1 and 2 of CCP in the Dona Paula area.
Dr Thomas admitted to Cabral that it could be an "error" and assured it will be rectified, even if it means issuing a corrigendum to the earlier notification.
Nelson is a known political detractor of Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate and suspects the deletion is a handiwork of bureaucrats in the Collectorate and revenue department who are under the control of Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate.
Cabral said, he has been advised by Dr Thomas to furnish a complaint formally in writing to get the 'error' rectified and his and the other names included in the electoral roll by way of a corrigendum notification.
Interestingly, current councillor Nazareth Cabral who incidentally is the brother of Nelson, also finds his name omitted from the electoral rolls.
I asked the director how can a sitting councillor's name be deleted? Does it mean he is no longer a councillor as he is not eligible with his name not figuring in the electoral roll? Dr Thomas then admitted it to be an error," Nelson told The Goan.
He said, he will submit the suggested complaint on Monday and also demand an enquiry to pin responsibility for error and disciplinary action against the errant officials as it appears to be a deliberate error.
The State government has come under severe attack from political parties, including the members of the Pramod Sawant led cabinet as well as from legislators of the ruling BJP ever since it notified earlier this week the wards reservation in eleven municipal councils and also the delimitation of wards in the CCP.
