Team Herald
PANJIM: The decks are clear to postpone polls of 186 village panchayats, whose term is set to end on June 19, with the Advocate General Devidas Pangam on Friday clarifying that there is no need for the State government to approach ‘any court of law’ for permission to postpone the elections. He has also opined that it is the prerogative of the State government.
In a bid to follow the triple-test mandate laid down by the Supreme Court for OBC reservation and with the likely advancement of monsoons over Goa in the first week of June, the State government had recommended the State Election Commission (SEC) postpone polls by three months and it would appoint administrators to look into the affairs of the panchayats, as the term of existing bodies ends on June 19.
The SEC, however, asked the government to approach the ‘appropriate court of law’ for permission to postpone. As such, the government once again sought legal opinion on the matter.
Speaking to Herald, Pangam said that he has already sent back files to the government and that there is no need to file any application before the High Court or Supreme Court for permission.
“There is no need to seek permission from the Court for postponement of polls. It is the prerogative of the State government, whether they want to postpone the polls or hold back the election process,” he said.
The Supreme Court in its judgment dated May 10 had said that elections that are already due need not and cannot be delayed on that (triple-test) count in view of the constitutional mandate.
The State government had tentatively scheduled panchayat elections on June 4.
