TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: April 4 will mark two months of suspense and confusion plaguing the Colva village, with neither a sarpanch nor an administrator to oversee Panchayat functioning.
Adding to the confusion is the eerie silence maintained by Panchayat Director Narayan Sawant on the order by his Additional Panchayat Director Jayant Tari suspending the resolution voting out the Colva Sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch and the district court stay on the functioning of the Panchayat administrator appointed by his office.
It was on February 4 that Colva Sarpanch Snowkon and his deputy Blanca were voted out of office in controversial circumstances.
The Panchayat Director was quick to appoint an administrator to oversee Panchayat functioning as he had 60 days at his disposal to fill the vacant posts of a Sarpanch and deputy.
Incidentally, the ousted Sarpanch preferred an appeal before Additional Director Jayant Tari, who in an order on March 20 suspended the February 4 resolution passed by the Panchayat body, voting out both Snowkon and Blanca.
The next day, the
Since March 21, the Colva Panchayat has neither a sarpanch nor an administrator, with the Panchayat Director dilly-dallying on filling the vacuum.
Salcete BDO Uday Prabhudessai said he has sought guidance from the Panchayat director as to how to go about the matter but the guidance and advise has not been forthcoming.
While Snowkon maintained that the Additional Director’s order suspending the resolution makes him eligible to function as sarpanch, the opposition led by Menino Fernandes questioned the inordinate delay by the Panchayat director in holding elections for the two vacant posts.
Incidentally, the Panchayat Director had told Herald on Friday that he would make his stand clear on the controversial issue but the BDO office on Wednesday clarified that nothing has been received from the Panchayat Director on the Colva episode.
