Team Herald
SANGUEM: Six of the seven panchas of Netravali Panchayat boycotted the special meeting convened by Sanguem BDO to elect new sarpanch and deputy sarpanch for the panchayat.
The meeting was convened after the Director of Panchayat Rajan Satardekar disqualified the sarpanch Rajani Gaonkar and deputy sarpanch Abhijit Desai in February “for misusing their powers.”
The disqualification order is under challenge before District Court in Margao.
At the meeting convened to elect the new sarpanch and deputy sarpanch, except for Archana Uday Gaonkar who was allegedly tipped to become the new Sarpanch, all others remained absent.
Those who boycotted the meeting are Abhijit Desai, Rajini Gaonkar, Prakash Bhagat, Santosh Naik, Vithal Gaonkar and Antoneta Mascarenhas.
It is pertinent to note here that since the dismissal of the sarpanch and the deputy sarpanch from their respective posts, the Panchayat of Netravali is run by an Administrator which has affected the smooth functioning of the panchayat.
Speaking to Herald, Abhijit Desai decried the running of the panchayat by the government authorities and brought to fore of an issue of bar licence given in a couple of days allegedly at the behest of the Director of Panchayats.
Desai accused the government authorities of acting in a highhanded manner giving scant respect to the panchayat body ultimately making the villagers to suffer.
With majority of members boycotting the meeting, the Special Officer Luis D’Silva deputed to conduct the meeting had to cancel the meeting for want of quorum.
