MARGAO
Returning officer for the Betalbatim and Nuvem panchayat bodies, Vishal Kundaikar on Thursday orally communicated to the candidates in the fray over the scrapping of the ongoing election for the four wards of the two panchayats, but the candidates insisted that the officer gives them in writing about the decision.
Thursday saw the Returning Officer explaining to the candidates about the decision by the State Election Commission to postpone the elections for the three wards of Betalbatim and the Kirbhat ward of Nuvem panchayat.
He, however, said that the candidates insisted that he gives them the order in writing conveying to them the postponement of the election, but in vain. “I could not give them in writing for the simple reason that my office did not receive anything in writing, and on that count though I was briefed orally by the State Election Commission of scrapping the election process in these four wards,” he said.
Though the Returning officer immediately communicated the demand of the candidates to give them in writing on the postponement of the election process, his office did not receive any communication from the State election commission till 5 pm. “The moment my office receives a communication from the State Election Commission in writing, the same will be communicated to the candidates,” Vishal told The Goan.
The election process for the Wards 3, 5 and 7 of Betalbatim village panchayat and ward 10 (Kirbhat) of Nuvem panchayat has been scrapped after the Supreme Court stayed the order of the Goa bench of the Bombay High court de-reserving the four wards for the general category.
The High Court had earlier granted stay on the government’s decision to reserve these four wards for the OBC community after residents of these wards had knocked the doors of the court with a plea that there’s hardly any OBC population in these wards.
