PANJIM: Following directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa, Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has initiated the process to rectify the anomalies in the reservation of wards in five municipalities. DMA is likely to increase one ward each for women candidates in these municipal areas, to ensure one-third reservation for the category.
On the other hand, the State Election Commission (SEC) is awaiting the completion of the fresh reservation process, before announcing the new poll schedule for the municipalities of Margao, Mapusa, Mormugao, Sanguem and Quepem.
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The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday set aside the notification of reservation of wards in the five municipal areas, while directing DMA to rectify the errors and issue a fresh notification within ten days. It has also directed SEC to expeditiously notify the election programme, on the order for reservation of seats in the municipal councils being issued by DMA and to ensure its completion on or before April 15.
Section 9 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 makes it imperative to reserve not less than 1/3rd seats for women and to be allotted by rotation in different wards of municipal councils.
Sources in DMA said it has initiated the process to rectify the reservations in the municipal areas, where
elections are set aside. “We have to basically ensure that one-third reservation is given to women in the municipalities. Accordingly, one additional seats would be reserved for them in all the five councils,” sources said.
Sources also said that wherever there are errors with regards to rotation of seat reservation that will also be taken care of in the fresh notification. “We will complete the process including issuing of notification, will be done within ten days, as directed by the High Court,” sources said.
The High Court had pointed out that considering the number of wards, in Mormugao, the total seats reserved for women should have been nine, as against the current eight seats; while seven in Mapusa, where currently six seats are reserved. In Sanguem too, the number of seats should have been four and not three.
Sources in the SEC maintained that the election process of the five municipal bodies has been kept in abeyance and the code withdrawn. “We will announce a fresh poll schedule for them once DMA notifies the reservation of wards,” sources said, adding that ‘the nominations, filed so far, in those poll bound areas, might not stand valid’.
