PANAJI
The Goa government on Monday informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that it has decided to merge the cadres of gram sevak and panchayat secretary into a single post.
The unified post will be designated either as ‘Gram Sachiv’ or ‘Panchayat Sachiv,’ the State said in its submission through Advocate General Devidas Pangam.
In March this year, the High Court had granted the State four weeks to either amalgamate or re-designate the Gram Sevak post into a single cadre, as several village panchayats were facing a shortage of secretaries.
Pangam had then told the Bench that the government had initiated the process to address the issue through merger or re-designation, which, he said, would help resolve administrative challenges in panchayats.
With the latest submission, the High Court disposed of the petition. Asked about the timeline for implementation, Pangam told reporters the process may take around three months.
Earlier, Pangam told the High Court that 20 secretary posts are vacant and that there are highly qualified persons in the Gram Sevak cadre.
In June 2024, the government was asked to clarify steps being taken to fill these vacancies.
The petitioner alleged that Gram Sevaks had been appointed illegally in place of full-time secretaries while pointing at 26 panchayats where Gram Sevaks were performing the duties of secretaries.
