PANJIM: The State government will find solution to fill 16 vacant posts of panchayat secretaries in village panchayats. There are 226 posts of panchayat secretaries and 210 posts are filled up. Currently 23 panchayat secretaries are holding additional charge, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday.
The High Court was hearing a writ petition filed by Narayan Datta Naik regarding appointment of a full-time panchayat secretary to the Sancoale Village Panchayat, in terms of Section 113 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, Adv Abhijit Gosavi and Adv A Naik stated that on March 13, 2023, the panchayat secretary was transferred and the charge was given to the gram sevak as defined under Section 2 (11-A) of the Panchayat Raj Act and not as per Section (20) which defines the secretary of the panchayat.
Adv Gosavi argued that Section 113 of the Panchayat Raj Act, in terms, provides that every panchayat hall have a “whole time” secretary who shall be an officer of the government and shall draw his salary and allowances form the panchayat fund. He also placed on record the recruitment rules for the post of the panchayat secretary and the gram sevak.
The division bench Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice Valmiki Menezes opined that the continuance of the gram sevak as acting panchayat secretary was problematic even as the Advocate General submitted that the gram sevak discharges no other functions than those of the secretary of the panchayat on whole- time basis. He also brought to the notice of the court that the gram sevak was a double graduate besides having a degree in law. He said that that the government would look into this issue and take some decision at the next date.
Accordingly, the court posted the matter for further hearing on July 1.
