Team Herald
PANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has issued notices to the State Election Commission (SEC), Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and others in a petition challenging the proposed decision to reduce the number of wards from 13 to 12 and uneven distribution of voters in wards of Sankhali Municipal Council, for the ensuing municipal polls scheduled in May.
Sankhali municipal council chairperson Rajesh Sawal and former sarpanch Praveen Blaggan have filed the writ petition, seeking to quash and set aside the order dated March 16, 2023 by the Bicholim taluka Mamlatdar and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), for ensuing general election of Sankhali municipal council, disposing the objections raised by them against the draft delimitation proposal of the wards.
The petitioners are concerned about the delimitation of six wards — II, III, V, VI, VII and VIII of the Sankhali municipal council. They have contended that the total number of voters has increased and in one ward it has been reduced. The voters per ward should be 720 and drastic changes have been made in ward V, where there are 963 voters whereas ward VII has 467 voters.
The petitioners have also pointed out that the no personal hearing was given by the ERO to explain their grievance. They have stated that 146 voters from ward V i.e. Taranagar Arvalem area and 10 voters from Gokulwadi were shifted to ward VIII.
