PANAJI: A Colvale Assistant Engineer (AE) from the Electricity Department was detained by police on the orders of the Deputy Collector for allegedly failing to report for Summary Revision (SIR) duty as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) Supervisor, sparking sharp criticism from the Congress and triggering protests outside the North Goa Collectorate today.
The Congress, led by GPCC Chief Amit Patkar, demanded an explanation from the Collector and questioned whether the officer’s detention was carried out under political pressure. Protestors who were stopped by police at the Collectorate entrance accused the Pramod Sawant-led government of harassing government officers and turning the police into goons in uniform.
“This is hooliganism. An Assistant Engineer on essential duty at a 220 kV substation was detained by the police on the Deputy Collector’s orders. If anything had gone wrong, the entire North Goa would have faced a blackout. Is this how the government treats officers performing essential duties?” Patkar said.
Patkar alleged that the AE was detained even after informing the authorities that he could not leave the substation unmanned. “He told them he was on duty at the substation. If he left, the system could trip, causing a blackout. Yet the police were sent to pick him up. This is absolute dadagiri,” he charged.
Calling the incident a reflection of administrative collapse, Patkar said the police were quick to detain a government officer but failed to catch thieves. He added, “Today an electricity officer is arrested, tomorrow it could be a police inspector. What is happening to Goa’s governance?”
During a meeting with the North Collector, Patkar questioned why officers from essential services were being deployed for SIR duties and why the marching order was executed at night. “You could have done the marching after duty hours. Electricity is an essential service. How can an officer in charge of a substation be pulled out during his duty shift?” he asked.
The Collector, while clarifying the circumstances, said the officer had been designated as a Booth Level Officer Supervisor under the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls as per Election Commission guidelines, which require a graduate-level government officer to oversee field verification of voter forms.
“The officer was appointed as a BLO Supervisor since a graduate-level officer is mandatory. There was no communication from the department stating that he was engaged in essential service. Had such intimation been received, we would have replaced him immediately,” the Collector said.
He further explained that the action was taken under Section 32B of the Representation of the People Act, which empowers the District Election Officer to act if an officer fails to perform election-related duties. “There was no intention to harass anyone. The officer was relieved within minutes after the issue was raised,” the Collector clarified.
Patkar maintained that appointing officers from essential services, such as electricity, was reckless and reflected poor administrative planning. “You have doubled the workload by including volunteers and government staff, but you cannot compromise critical departments. The District Election Officer should have strongly objected to the timing of SIR when local body elections are also approaching,” he said.
After the meeting, Patkar said the Collector had assured the Congress delegation that officers engaged in essential services, including electricity, water supply, and health, would be relieved from SIR duties immediately. “The Collector has assured us that Deputy Collectors and Electoral Registration Officers will write to the respective departments to relieve such officers. But the incident itself deserves condemnation,” Patkar said.
He further alleged political interference in the process, stating, “One government department is arresting an officer from another. The Power Minister and Home Minister must answer how this was allowed. This shows the complete collapse of administration under the BJP government.”
Patkar added that the Congress will continue to expose what it calls the misuse of power and ego-driven governance in Goa.
