Several Panchayat Secretaries across Goa continue to serve in the same blocks well beyond the government-mandated tenure of three years — in some cases, despite facing multiple complaints.
The issue, long festering at the grassroots level, has come into sharp focus during the ongoing monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, where opposition MLAs have raised serious concerns about corruption, mismanagement, and the failure of the Directorate of Panchayats to enforce its own rules.
According to official data, secretaries in key blocks such as Bardez, Quepem, Ponda, and Sattari have overstayed their postings.
In Ponda, Namita Hazare has held her position since May 2018 — over six years — despite two formal complaints against her.
Gauri Parsekar in Quepem has continued since November 2019 and is also facing two complaints. Satish Gauns in Bardez has been serving since October 2019, and Monali Betkikar in Sattari since December 2021 — all in violation of the three-year limit.
Compounding the problem is the volume of public complaints. Bardez alone accounts for 34, followed by Salcette with 25 and Mormugao with 16.
In Bardez, Nawanya Goltekar has six complaints against her, Dhiraj Govekar five, and Subhash Kambli two. In Salcette, serious allegations have been made against Sunita Desai (seven complaints), Amol Tilve (five), and Yogesh Fatarpekar (five).
In Mormugao, Orville Valves has 11 complaints to his name — yet remains in service.
Despite these red flags, many secretaries continue in their roles without being transferred or investigated. Other blocks like Pernem, Bicholim, Sanguem, and Tiswadi also have officials against whom repeated complaints have been filed — but no action appears to have been taken.
In the Assembly, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai accused the government of allowing Panchayats to function as “ATMs of corruption,” alleging that secretaries have become unaccountable and entrenched in the absence of rotation. Another legislator questioned why officers facing multiple complaints continue in the same posts for years, ignoring the spirit of transparency and good governance.