TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In a petition filed by one Zarina Blanca Fernandes seeking disqualification of panch member of Colva Village Panchayat Agnelo Pereira, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices before admission.
Upon hearing advocate Galileo Teles, on behalf of the petitioner, the division bench of Justice A P Lawande and Justice U V Bakre issued notices returnable on June 13, 2013.
Zarina challenged the authority of Agnelo to continue as a Village Panchayat member after he took part and voted at the panchayat meetings which granted a No Objection Certificate to Russel A Pereira, who is his son, to operate a milk booth in a tourism area, ‘thereby having pecuniary interest in the resolution adopted by the Panchayat’.
She alleged that the act of Agnelo in giving a No Objection Certificate to Russel also amounts to abuse and misuse of power as a panch member.
“Agnelo has illegally participated in the meetings of the Panchayat which passed a resolution wherein he and his son has personal and pecuniary interest,” the advocate said in the petition.
Hence the petitioner has prayed that the seat of Agnelo Pereira be deemed vacant under section 12(d) of Goa Panchayat of Raj Act, 1994, for having participated in a resolution in which he had a pecuniary interest.
