MARGAO
Former Cavelossim sarpanch Dionizio Dias, former deputy sarpanch Felicia Fernandes and former panch member Lumena Rodrigues have been barred from re-election as panchayat members of the Village Panchayat of Cavelossim for the next three years for alleged misuse and abuse of powers and remiss of duties on their part which caused "serious damage to the environment".
A judgment passed by the Additional Director of Panchayats, South, Sangeeta Naik on a petition filed by Oswald Fernandes, a resident of Curtorim, stated that the issue of whether the trio is liable for action as Sarpanch, Dy Sarpanch and member of the Village Panchayat Cavelossim, U/s. 50(4) & (5) and 210-A of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 is answered in the affirmative.
“As clear from the provisions, the penalty under these sections is two-folded i.e. removal from the office of the Dy Sarpanch/Sarpanch or removal as the member of the Panchayat and also disqualification of the person from being re-elected for a period not exceeding 5 years as the Director may specify. In the present case, admittedly the respondents are not presently occupying the office of the Sarpanch/Dy Sarpanch/ Member of the Panchayat and as such cannot be removed from office,” the Additional Director stated.
In her order, Naik stated that the trio shall not be eligible for re-election as panchayat members of the village Panchayat of Cavelosim for the next three years from the date of the order.
Dionizio Dias said he would challenge the Additional Director’s order before an appellate authority, pointing out that even notice of the hearing was not served to him and the case was not properly represented before the authority.
Petitioner Oswald had brought to the notice of the authorities that action needed to be taken by the Director of Panchayats concerning the misuse of powers and persistent remiss of duties by the panchayat members in terms of illegal use of salt pans, khazan land and unlawful allotment of house numbers to the structures in the khazan land.
