MAPUSA
The All Goa Panchayat Democratic Forum put the Director of Panchayats on notice requesting him to withdraw the “illegal” circular issued to all panchayats in the State or face legal action.
“The circular issued by the Director of Panchayats is outside the scope of the law, illegal and unconstitutional and therefore needs to be withdrawn promptly,” said Joseph Vaz, Secretary of the All Goa Panchayat Democratic Forum.
The secretary in a legal notice has asked the Director of Panchayat to withdraw the circular within a period of seven days failing which the forum will take legal course of action to quash and set aside the controversial circular.
The Director of Panchayats had issued a circular to all panchayats in the State on July 31 which sought to confer powers to the engineering section of the directorate which was hitherto in the hands of the panchayat body.
Several sarpanchas, panchayat members and ex-sarpanchas had decried the move of the government to bypass the local self-governing body to take up developmental work.
“With one stroke the government has taken the power of the panchayats and handed it to the engineers to execute the works. This circular seeks to remove the powers of the panchayats which is conferred on it under the 73rd and 74th amendments,” said Francis Fernandes, Vice President of the All Goa Panchayat Democratic Forum and present panchayat member and former sarpanch of Siolim-Sodiem.
It may be recalled, several sarpanchas and panchayat members from Bardez and Salcete had recently met to discuss the controversial circular and chalk out future course of action.
They had condemned the circular and decided to use all democratic means to oppose the draconian move by the government.
