PANJIM: The former sarpanch and present panch of Merces, Walter D’Souza, Wednesday rubbished the claim of Panchayat Minister Rajendra Arlekar that he was not aware of the cancellation of sarpanch election for the second time.
“When I spoke to Arlekar he told me that he has asked for a report from the Director of Panchayat. I don’t know what report he is talking about when his own office has been doing this. If Arlekar is serious of what he is talking about, I challenge him to hold election by March 30,” D’Souza said in a press note issued here.
He said that Arlekar would accept his challenge as the election was postponed at the behest of a senior BJP worker who wants to place his relative, who is a panch, on the sarpanch chair.
Rather than playing petty politics, the BJP supported panchas should contest the sarpanch election, he said adding, postponing the election would win them the sarpanch post.
D’Souza said that from the “disappearance” of BDO Manish H Kedar from office and switching off his mobile phone, he discerned that even the BDO was of the opinion that postponing the election was wrong.
The government feels that the bureaucrats have to bow down to their will and do their bidding, D’Sousa lamented.
