MARGAO: District Collector has declared six comunidades — Margao, Loutolim, Davorlim, Cortalim, Mormugao and Sancoale — as ‘sensitive’ ahead of elections to the South Zone Comunidades.
The elections have been relatively a quiet affair, however, with the declaration of the six comunidades as sensitive, the elections are being looked upon like yet another panchayat elections.
In these sensitive areas, the Mamlatar-rank-officer will preside over the elections and there will be a police presence in the area. Normally, a Talathi rank officer presides over the elections in the Communidade.
Adv Savio Correia, President of the South Goa Comunidade Association feels that there were no reasons for the authorities to act in the manner. “I have been involved with the Comunidades for the last 25 years and as far as I remember, there has never been any law and order problem reported during the elections in South Goa. To me it looks like a blatant attempt by the authorities to intimidate the Comunidade members”, he stated.
The Administrator of South Zone Comunidade was not aware that the six communidades have been marked as sensitive. He said that the decision is taken by the Collector.
South Goa Collector informed that based on the decision to declare these comunidades as sensitive, elections in certain areas would be presided over by the Mamlatdar. He further said that this was done in a previous election as well. He informed that the provisions of the Code of Comunidades allowed him to take the decision and appoint Mamlatdars where it is required.
Sources informed that any disruption during the election process in the Comunidade, could be due to the withdrawal of the notification which banned the transfer of shares once the elections are announced.
“Most of the candidates don’t know how many new shareholders have been added this week by their opponents. If candidates start to challenge a new shareholder (voter), say in Sancoale and Margao Comunidades where migrants living illegally in the comunidade land might have become a shareholder, this might delay the voting process and even lead to arguments. If there are too many police during the election, people might get scared to come and vote”, said a candidate who is contesting in the forthcoming Comunidade elections.
