the goan I network
MARGAO
Panchayat Secretary Sandhya Shirodkar is back at the helm of Colva Panchayat once again, triggering protests from the Civil society, who have sought the intervention of Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho how Shirodkar returns back to Colva panchayat every time she is shunted out of the village.
Leading the protests is the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum, whose convenor Judith Almeida has quoted Panchayat Director Rajan Sattardekar as saying that Shirodkar has been transferred to Colva “upon orders from the top”.
Addressing the media, Judith and activist Shakuntala Mesquita slammed the government for transferring incumbent Secretary Paresh Rane and replacing her with Sandhya Shirodkar. “Why and who is behind the move to get Sandha Shirodkar back to the Colva panchayat. You go through the records and one would find Shirodkar repeatedly posted at Colva panchayat after her transfers. This only goes to show that there is political interference in transferring the incumbent secretary and replacing him with Shirodkar,” Judith alleged.
“Is this how governance takes place? Can public interest be served,” Judith demanded to know, adding that before the incumbent secretary Paresh Rane was transferred, the people were being given to understand that he was being appointed to smoothen the functioning of the panchayat.
“There is no doubt that he has proved to be effective and prompt in service and has been trying to restore panchayat records and files which have been ruined due to years of neglect,” she said.
Saying that transferring the secretary at this stage is unacceptable, Judith and Shakuntala has appealed to the Director of Panchayats to cancel the appointment of Sandhya Shirodkar to Colva in public interest,
while demanding that Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho must intervene in public interest.
The Colva Forum has also taken strong exception of the repeated transfers of Colva panchayat secretaries, saying Colva panchayat had as many as six transfers of panchayat secretaries in 21 months between April 2017 and December 2018.
******
