Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the government to consider retention of Chief Officer (CO) of Sanquelim Municipal Council (SMC) Deepak Vaigankar while also to ‘counsel’ him about the powers and duties under the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968.
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The order comes in connection with a petition instituted by the SMC and seven out of its 13 councilors, alleging that there is no full-time CO and that the present officer refuses to follow the mandate of Section 74 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 in the matter of implementation of the resolutions of the council.
The petitioners urged the Court that the State be directed to appoint a full-time CO as they set out various allegations against Vaigankar. They also pleaded that the ruling faction of the SMC is not supported by the ruling party in the State government and, therefore, through the offices of the CO and the Director of Urban Development/Municipal Administration hurdles and hindrances are created in the day-to-day functioning of the SMC.
During the hearings held in the last couple of weeks, the CO denied all the allegations and pleaded that he is available in the SMC every Wednesday and Friday from 2 pm to 6 pm.
The Division Bench of Justice M S Sonak and Justice M S Jawalkar however pointed out to several flaws. It observed, “At least the Chief Officer has given good cause to sustain such allegations. The material placed on record by the petitioners and the chief officer himself does suggest that the Chief Officer, besides being openly and unduly hostile to the chairperson and the majority of the elected councilors, has exceeded his authority and even refused to implement the resolutions and decisions of the council.”
