Administrative lapse flagged amid poll-linked reservation exercise
MARGAO
The Margao Municipal administration has come under scrutiny for its delayed response to a directive issued by the Director of Urban Development, Brijesh Manerkar, regarding the deputation of staff to assist the Goa State Commission for Backward Classes in matters related to OBC reservation for the upcoming municipal elections.
On February 12, Manerkar had written to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Madhu Narvekar, instructing the deputation of three clerical staff members to furnish ward-wise data on Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This data is essential to comply with the “triple test” guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India in the landmark case of Vikas Kishanrao Gawali vs State of Maharashtra, which governs reservation of seats in local body elections.
Despite the urgency of the matter—given its direct link to the forthcoming municipal polls—the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) reportedly delayed action on the directive for several days. The order deputing staff was eventually issued, but not without raising further questions. Notably, the Chief Officer included a sanitary inspector in the list, even though the directive specifically called for clerical staff.
This decision has sparked criticism within administrative circles, with questions being raised over the rationale behind assigning non-clerical personnel when the civic body has an adequate number of clerks. The situation escalated when the sanitary inspector, citing his responsibility for essential sanitation duties, expressed his inability to comply. In response, he was reportedly served a memorandum by the Chief Officer.
The episode has triggered concerns about administrative efficiency and adherence to directives, especially in matters as critical as election-related processes.
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Cong alleges bid to sabotage ward reservation process
MARGAO: The Margao Congress Block on Wednesday charged that the government and certain leaders from Margao were trying to sabotage the legal process laid down for ward reservation.
Addressing the media, Congress Block Convener Savio Coutinho stated that this alleged manipulation was exposed by an order issued by the Chief Officer of the Margao Municipal Council to four staff members of MMC, deputing them to the Goa State Commission for Backward Classes at Altinho, Panjim, for the ward-wise compilation of OBC data for the purpose of reservation of wards.
“The very fact that the MMC chose to depute the staff after 40-odd days since the DMA asked the various councils, including MMC, to depute the staff is a clear indication that the data compilation of the OBC population is compromised at the behest of unscrupulous politicians from Margao,” Coutinho charged.
Coutinho further stated that the late order of deputation issued by the MMC Chief Officer was surely a fallout of a petition before the High Court filed by an ST candidate, Nimisha Faleiro. “This was an attempted cover-up which instead exposed the faulty reservation exercise,” Coutinho charged, while appealing to the High Court to view this lapse very seriously.
He slammed the Margao Municipal Council for paying scant respect to High Court and Supreme Court orders and directions, which appears to be a normal practice at the MMC, he added while referring to the sanitation workers issue.
Coutinho warned that in the event the government tries to manipulate the reservation process, they would not shy away from approaching the Hon’ble High Court.
