Team Herald
MARGAO: As many as 20 of the 30 village panchayats in Salcete taluka have more wards reserved than the general category for the panchayat elections going by the reservation announced by the Directorate of Panchayats.
All the eight villages having 11 wards have either 6 or more wards reserved. While Chinchinim-Deussua has six reserved wards, Cana Benaulim, Curtorim, Navelim and Raia have seven wards reserved and Davorlim Dicarpale, Nuvem and San Jose de Areal have eight wards reserved.
Of the five villages having nine wards, only Varca has four reserved wards meaning five wards are in the general category. While Velim and Aquem-Baixo have five reserved wards, Loutolim and Colva have six reserved wards leaving only three in the general category.
Only in the panchayats having seven wards more panchayats have wards in general category then reserved. While in nine panchayats general category wards are more, in seven the reserved wards are more.
The panchayats having more wards in the general category are Assolna, Carmona, Darmapur-Sirlim, Guirdolim, Macasana, Orlim, Paroda, Seraulim and Telaulim. Incidentally the panchayats of Carmona, Macasana, Seraulim and Telaulim have only 2 wards reserved and both are for ladies.
The panchayats where there are more reserved wards are Ambelim, Betalbatim, Camurlim, Cavelossim, Chandor, Rumdamoll and Sarzora. Significantlyu Sarzora and Ambelim have five wards reserved thus leaving only two wards in the general category.
The only panchayat in Salcete having five wards Rachol has three wards reserved leaving only two in the general category.
Davorlim-Dicarpale Village panchayat is the only one in Salcete having a ward reserved for the ST community as no other panchayat has wards reserved for this community.
The reservation of wards has upset many aspirants and MLAs were heard complaining on the methods adopted for reserving wards and alleged the reservation has been done arbitrarily and without application of mind.
