No full-fledged CO at the civic body for last 14 days; litigants made to suffer
the goan I network
And, to add insult to injury, litigants have been put to hardships with the dates for hearing of their cases postponed further.
Even after South Goa District Collector, Swapnil Naik, took additional charge of the A class Municipal body, the litigants haven’t got any respite. Since he assumed charge of the MMC, the District Collector has made his presence felt in the civic body earlier this week.
Officials in the know told The Goan that since the Collector is only holding additional charge of the civic body, he is not expected to conduct hearings of the quasi-judicial matters.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that not a single hearing has taken place from June 1 since the time then Chief Officer Y B Tawde retired from service on May 31. From June 1 till date, the staff in-charge of the quasi-judicial cases have only given dates to the litigants by putting up a notice just outside the CO’s chamber.
An MMC official said the fortnight-long absence of a full-fledged CO will adversely affect the disposal of
quasi-judicial and other pending cases.
It is not out of place to mention here that hearings of quasi-judicial matters were not taken up last month because of the May vacation with most of the lawyers going out of station.
Inquiries by the Goan have further revealed that around 300 quasi-judicial matters are pending with the CO pertaining to various issues, including illegal constructions, demolitions and RTI matters.
“The fortnight-long disruption in the quasi-judicial process will only contribute to further delay in the disposal of the cases pending before the CO,” remarked an MMC official.
With the election process for the panchayats coming to an end, it is now expected that the government may lift the election code of conduct anytime. It is also to be seen when the government will depute a full-fledged CO to the Margao Municipal Council.
