PANJIM: In a major setback to the government, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday stayed the reservation notification of 15 wards in 10 village panchayats. Various persons had approached the High Court challenging the notification of delimitation and reservation of wards in their respective village panchayats.
The High Court was hearing the petitions filed by residents of Curca Bambolim, Betalbatim, Sancoale, Betki Khandola, Kurti Khandepar, Penha de Franca, Merces, Anjuna Caisua and Advalpal village panchayats collectively as all had challenged the delimitation and reservation notification of government for the panchayat polls in the State.
The stay order is not applicable to the entire panchayat, but only in the particular wards which are in dispute in the petitions.
Vandita Volvoikar had challenged the notification reserving ward 1 of Curca-Bambolim for Schedule Tribes. Rozer Afonso challenged the notification reserving wards 3, 5 and 7 of Betalbatim for other backward classes. Ramakant Borkar challenged the notification changing of wards from 6 to 5 of Sancoale and reserving ward number 6 for women.
Pratap Haldankar challenged the reservation of ward 6 of Betki-Khandola for OBC, as did Riddhesh Sukhtankar who challenged the notification reserving ward 7 of Betki-Khandola and Naveed Noor Tahsildar who challenged the reservation of ward 6 of Curti-Khandepar for OBCs.
Umesh Anant Phadte challenged the notification changing the composition of ward 9 to ward 8 of Penha de Franca and reserving it for women. Venacia Gonsalves challenged the notification reserving ward 6 of Merces for OBC, while Vrunda Dinesh Patil challenged the notification changing the scheme of reservation of wards 2 and 3 of Anjuna-Caisua. Vinayak Sawant challenged reservation of ward 5 of Advalpal for OBC.
The HC has stayed the notification of May 16 in regards to these disputed wards in the respective village panchayats. Sources in the Directorate of Panchayat said that the government is likely to challenge the order of HC in Supreme Court.
