PCF wants govt to scrutinise electoral roll procedure
Threatens to move High Court
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 19
Pilerne Citizens Forum has served a 15-day ultimatum to the Government to eliminate names of voters into the electoral roll, who have been included without following proper procedure.
At a press briefing on Thursday, advocate Yatish Naik asked the Government to scrutinize the entire process wherein, he alleged, that Mamlatdars of all 11 talukas included names of several thousand voters without following procedures and guidelines laid down by the Election Commission of India.
The forum has threatened to move Bombay High Court at Goa, if the Government fails to initiate steps. Naik assured to seek intervention of the chairman of the Goa’s Golden Jubilee Panel Dr Raghunath Mashelkar to take cognizance of the matter and advise the Government to follow rules.
Using the RTI, the PCF submitted common questionnaires to all 11 Mamlatdar offices, replies of which were inconsistent.
“The entire procedure needs to be scrutinized and since it clearly appears from the replies and admissions that proper and common procedure was not followed by the Mamlatdars in Goa. The rolls must be redone to correct the serious errors…,” he said.
The PCF used RTI to first ask the Chief Election Commission at New Delhi on November 28, 2009 for information about election procedures and guidelines laid down to enroll voter names. It was only after receiving replies that PCF dashed questions under RTI to respective Mamlatdar offices.
With the process of enrolling new voters is underway and the final roll to be published on August 26, PCF has demanded not to proceed with the final roll without ascertaining facts.
Naik clarified they were not against new voters but it ought to be carried out following proper procedures to avoid bogus voting.
The forum members ridiculed that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on the floor of the House and joint chief electoral officer also admitted that Mamlatdars furnished varied replies to the same query. Despite the ‘candid’ admission, the advocate rued that no corrective action has been initiated.
