Deputy Directors named ROs; BDOs to serve as AROs across talukas
PANAJI
State Election Commissioner Menino D’Souza has issued an order appointing Deputy Directors from various government departments and Block Development Officers (BDOs) of the Panchayat department as Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) respectively for the December 13 Zilla Panchayat elections.
With the order, these officials from the Panchayat department effectively replace Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars who usually discharge the responsibility of ROs and AROs at all local body elections in their jurisdictions.
Sources said the change was necessitated as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already set in motion the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls across the State.
Through his order issued late on Saturday evening, D’Souza has invoked powers under rule 2 e of the Goa Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat (Election Procedure) rules, 1986, to appoint Deputy Director (Adm) as RO for all four ZP seats of Pernem -- Arambol, Torxem, Morjim and Dhargal. The BDO of Pernem will be the ARO for these four seats.
Similarly for the five Bardez seats of Anjuna, Sirsaim, Siolim, Colvale and Aldona, the Deputy Director (Adm) in the transport department will be the RO. The BDO-I of Bardez is named ARO for these seats.
Similarly, Deputy Director in the Urban Development department will serve as RO for Calangute, Reis Magos, Soccorro and Penha de Franca seats while BDO-II of Bardez will be the ARO.
For the Taleigao, St Cruz, Chimbel, Corlim and St Lawrence seats of Tiswadi, the Deputy Director in the Civil Supplies Department will be the RO and the Tiswadi BDO the ARO.
Assistant Commissioner of Excise is appointed RO for the Latambarcem, Mayem, Pale and Saravan-Karapur seats of Bicholim taluka and the BDO of Bicholim will be the ARO.
In Sattari, the Deputy Director (Adm) in the Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce will be the RO for the Honda, Nagargao and Querim seats and the BDO of the taluka will be the ARO.
Also in South Goa, Additional Director in the Urban Development department will be the RO for the four ZP seats of Betki-Candola, Usgao-Ganjem, Curti-Khandepar and Veling-Priol in Ponda taluka. The BDO-I of Ponda is named the ARO.
Further again in Ponda taluka, the Deputy Director (North) in the Tribal Affairs department will be RO for the Queula, Borim and Shiroda seats.
The four seats of Davorlim, Navelim, Guirdolim and Curtorim in Salcete will have the OSD CSR Authority as the RO. The five other Salcete seats of Raia, Nuvem, Velim, Benaulim and Colva will have the Deputy Director (Adm) in tourism department as the RO.
Sanvordem and Dharbandora will have Asst Commissioner of Sales Tax as the RO and Deputy Director (Mines) will officiate as RO for Rivona seat.
Deputy Director (Adm) of IT Dept will be RO for Xeldem and Barcem while Deputy Commissioner of Sales Tax will officiate as RO for Cola and Poinguinim.
Sancoale and Cortalim seats in Mormugao Taluka will have Asst Commissioner-II of Excise will be the RO.
HC issues notice to SEC on ZP reservation challenge
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notice to the Goa State Election Commission on petitions challenging the November 6 notification on seat reservations for the South Goa Zilla Panchayat elections.
The petitioner has sought quashing of the notification on several grounds, submitting that the Nuvem and Curtorim constituencies have been wrongly reserved for the OBC category. It has also been contended that of the five seats reserved for OBC candidates, two should have been earmarked for OBC women, which has not been done.
