PANJIM: The State government on Friday appointed administrators for 175 village panchayats, to look into the day-to-day affairs of the local self-bodies as the five-year term of the elected members ends on Saturday (June 18).
The government has decided to hold elections to these village panchayats post monsoon, in a bid to follow the triple test mandate laid down by the Supreme Court for reservation of wards for Other Backward Class (OBC) communities.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The Directorate of Panchayat (DoP) has appointed various government servants as the administrators, with effect from June 19, until the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch are filled after the general elections to the panchayats or until further orders.
Director of Panchayat Siddhi Halarnakar in the order stated that since the general elections to the village panchayats cannot be held, it is necessary to appoint an administrator to run the affairs and all other activities till elections are held or new elected body of members takes the charge.
As per the order, the officers will have to function as Administrators in addition to their own duties in their respective offices/departments and have to attend respective village panchayat office on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, besides during other exigent situations.
“Every administrator shall, during the period of his/her appointment, exercise all the powers, perform and discharge all the duties and functions conferred and imposed upon the sarpanch or the deputy sarpanch or the members of the respective panchayat under the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act and the rules made thereunder or any other law,” reads the order.
The Administrators, however, will have no powers to take any decision without approval of the Block Development Officer (BDO) of the taluka.
The State government had tentatively scheduled panchayat elections on June 4. However, in view of Supreme Court verdict on May 10, the government, after taking legal advice from the Advocate General, decided to postpone the polls and hold it after monsoon.
