Team Herald
MARGAO: In the wake of intense protests over the non-payment to the contractor handling door-to-door garbage collection, the Directorate of Panchayats has transferred Khushalidas Gaonkar, the panchayat secretary of Navelim, to the Block Development Office in Salcete. The decision came via transfer orders issued by Director Siddhi T Halarnkar on Thursday.
Gaonkar has been replaced by Sunita Desai, who will serve as the new panchayat secretary. Gaonkar’s transfer follows a history of controversy, including his alleged involvement in a Rs 18 lakh scam related to the 14th Finance Commission during his tenure at the Village Panchayat Raia. The inquiry into that matter is still pending before the Directorate of Panchayats. After the Raia incident, Gaonkar was moved to the Block Development Office but had remained without a formal posting for several months.
Gaonkar’s latest controversy involved halting payments to the contractor and workers responsible for daily garbage collection in the Navelim panchayat, leading to waste accumulation in homes, open areas, and educational institutions. This sparked outrage among residents and local officials.
In response, the Navelim panchayat expressed relief and praised the Directorate for taking swift action. Paul Pereira, former sarpanch and current panch member of the panchayat stated, “We really appreciate the Director of Panchayats for taking immediate action. It is because of such officers that several panchayat works are halted. We have also been informed of his alleged involvement in an 18-lakh scam in the Raia panchayat previously. The secretary’s duty is to assist the panchayat body with proper guidance for smooth functioning.”
Pereira also pointed out that Gaonkar repeatedly failed to respect the elected panchayat members and the decisions taken by the body, leading to dysfunction and delays in local governance.