MARGAO
Raia witnessed an uproar on the eve of the meeting called to discuss the no confidence motion against Raia Sarpanch Jacinta Dias on Friday, with a group of Panchayat members questioning the actions of the Panchayat secretary vis-Ã -vis the meeting notice and the corrigendum.
Six members of the Raia Panchayat had tabled a no confidence motion against Sarpanch Jacinta Dias a week ago, following which the Salcete BDO had issued a memorandum to the Raia Panchayat Secretary on October 10 to call a meeting of the Panchayat on October 17 to decide the motion.
While issuing the notice to the Panchayat that the panchayat meeting is called on October 17 to decide on the motion, the Panchayat secretary’s notice was found dated October 9.
Taking objection to the date of the notice, panch member Judas Quadros told the media on Thursday that while the BDO had issued the memorandum on October 10 to hold the meeting on October 17, the Secretary’s letter was dated October 9, indicating that the Panchayat secretary had issued the notice before the BDO’s decision.
What has infuriated the Panchayat members was the panchayat secretary Amrit Govind Sakhalkar issued a corrigendum dated October 14, to clarify that the October 9 date on the notice was a typing and clerical mistake and may be read as October 10.
Taking objection to the corrigendum, Judas wondered whether the Panchayat secretary has usurped the powers of the BDO, demanding to know whether the Panchayat secretary is empowered to issue corrigendum. Moreover, he claimed that though the corrigendum is dated October 14, the same was pasted at the residence of the five Panchayat members on Thursday, on the eve of the no confidence motion scheduled on Friday.
