MARGAO: Advocate Rajeev Gomes has demanded that rules should be framed or orders issued for disclosure of assets, liabilities and qualifications of candidates who seek to be elected to municipal councils, as part of municipal reforms. He has also called for fresh delimitation of the Margao Municipal Council wards before the elections, in a contiguous manner, failing which he would be forced to approach the courts.
In a letter to Urban Development Minister, Director of Municipal Administration and State Election Commissioner, dated April 2, Adv Gomes lamented the current state of affairs of municipal council and reasoned that this was necessary ‘due to the unchecked election of candidates – who have a criminal background, who are unqualified, etc.’
He said, “This will help the electors to make an informed choice about the candidates whom they wish to elect.”
Earlier, Adv Gomes in a March 30 letter to the Urban Development Minister, had sought amendments to the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 at the earliest to allow the holding of ward sabhas on the lines of gram sabhas. The ward sabhas should be held four times a year and be convened by the ward councillor. He also demanded that the councillor should be disqualified as per section 46, if he/she remains absent for three consecutive meetings.
In his letter, he noted that the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, intends to bestow self-governance through gram sabhas, ward development committees and vigilance committees. He, however, observed that in contrast, the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, makes no such provisions and does not permit participation of a common man in council affairs.
“To enable and promote participatory democracy in urban local bodies, we find it imperative that the government of Goa amends the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 or frame rules, permitting people to participate and engage in the affairs of their municipality.
In his letter, Gomes has requested the Director of Municipal Administration to constitute contiguous wards before Margao Municipal Council elections, with a warning that if no action is taken to divide and delimit wards as suggested by him, he would be constrained to approach the High Court of Bombay for appropriate relief. He pointed out that the geographical division of wards pertaining to MMC area is non-contiguous, posing a grave threat to fair elections, and was done to suit political interests. “It would be just and fair that the exercise of delimitation/division of wards be undertaken at the earliest, in order to re-constitute the wards into contiguous units, before the impending municipal elections,” Adv Gomes said.
