PANJIM: North Goa District and Sessions Court quashed and set aside a disqualification order passed against a panch of Merces panchayat, Prakash Naik, stating that the order was arbitrary and perverse.
Director of Panchayats on February 6, 2016 passed an order based on a complaint from Shaileshkumar Virnodkar and had disqualified Naik as a panch and restrained him from contesting elections for five years.
However, Naik approached the court and got a stay order immediately. The court on May 30 then disposed the petition filed by Naik challenging the order of the Director of Panchayats while quashing the order of February 2016.
From February 6, 2016 Naik was not Sarpanch of Merces panchayat and hence the court has observed that Section 210-A of Goa Panchayat Raj Act is not applicable in the matter.
Naik who had contested the last Assembly elections from St Cruz constituency is now contesting the election from ward number 11 of Merces panchayat. Currently he has been appointed administrator of Panchayats as he was the last serving sarpanch. Naik said that the order of the Panchayats Director was politically motivated to defame and demoralise him.
