Team Herald
PANJIM: A legal notice has been served by social activist Adv Aires Rodrigues on the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) and the Commissioner of the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) over former councillors Kabir Pinto Makhija and Kishore Sastry being co-opted as councillors at the CCP.
In his notice jointly addressed to the two officials, Adv Rodrigues has given them seven days to withdraw the order co-opting the two as councillors move the High Court of Bombay at Goa for appropriate orders.
Adv Rodrigues in his notice has stated that the appointment of Makhija and Sastry as co-opted councillors was in total breach and violation of the CCP Act as both do not meet the requirement to be nominated as councillors not having the necessary special knowledge or experience in the required fields.
Adv Rodrigues has further stated that the CCP while proposing to nominate Makhija and Sastry as co-opted councillors had falsely stated that they were experts in the field of engineering and urban administration respectively.
Adv Rodrigues has also pointed out that the bio-data submitted by Makhija and Sastry does not make any mention of them having any expertise in engineering and urban administration while, Sastry in his biodata has stated that his educational qualification is ITI in electricals.
Stating that the provision for co-opted councillors was so that the CCP could get the proficient advice and guidance of experts in the designated fields and not to be misused to politically rehabilitate former councillors, Adv Rodrigues in his notice has drawn the attention of the officials that Sastry had lost the recent CCP elections held in March while Makhija’s ward having been reserved for women was contested by his sister who was also defeated.
Adv Rodrigues in his notice has also stated that the intent of the law to create posts of co-opted councillors was to have persons with vast experience in the fields specified so that they could through their long experience and enhanced knowledge contribute their ideas at meetings and deliberations of the Corporation.
