the goan I network
MARGAO
Curtains have finally come down on the month-long elections for the managing committees of the 90 comunidades in South Goa, but failure to hold election for more than half the number these age-old bodies in the district for want of quorum may leave many concerned.
Reason: Blame it on apathy and indifference or simply the scheduling of the election process, election for many comunidade bodies, around 47 as per initial estimates, could not take place for want of quorum. This implies that more than half the comunidade bodies in South Goa will have committees to man its affairs, which will be appointed by the government since elections could not take place.
Reports indicate that elections could not be held for as many 25 comunidades in Salcete for want of quorum. And, this peculiar situation was not restricted to Salcete alone, but in other places as well. Take the case of Mormugao, elections for as many as seven comunidades could not take place for want of the requisite number of members. While managing committees of six comunidades were constituted, election for one body was postponed in Mormugao taluka.
In Quepem too, elections for eight comunidades could not be held for want of quorum.
Similarly, was the case in Sanguem taluka, where election for only one comunidade body could be held, while there were no takers for as many as five bodies.
When The Goan contacted Administrator of Comunidades Paresh Faldesai to shed light on the situation, he said a detailed report will be submitted to the government on the elections.
“An official report will be compiled and forwarded to the Revenue Under Secretary for action,” he said, adding that the government will constitute the committees as per the rules in force.
President of Aquem and Margao Comunidades, Savio Correia, when contacted for his comments blamed the government for scheduling of the election process this time around. He said the comunidade rules mandate the holding of elections on all Sundays in the month of December and January. “For best reasons known to the government, this time the government deemed it fit to restrict the elections up to the first week of January instead of continuing with the process till the end of January as per the rules,” Savio said.
He pointed out that the scheduling of the elections must have certainly had a bearing on the turnout of members for the election. “In many comunidades, members are shareholders in not just one, but many bodies. Holding elections for these comunidades in a single day has had an effect on the turnout of members for the election,” he said.
Savio pointed out that though the managing committees of the comunidades had objected to the scheduling of the election process, the government went ahead with the set schedule for ulterior reasons.
