Team Herald
PANJIM: Elections to 186 village panchayats have been tentatively scheduled on June 4, while the counting will take place on June 6. The State government has ruled out polls on party lines.
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New bodies in the 186 panchayats, comprising 1,450 wards, have to be in place before June 19, when the term of the existing bodies expires. The polls to remaining five panchayats, are due in 2024.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has moved a proposal to the government detailing out the schedule of the Panchayat election, which the State has in principle agreed to.
Speaking to media persons, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho said that the government has tentatively proposed to hold polls on June 4. “There is no question of holding the polls on party lines. There is already enough politics at the grassroots level, we don’t want more politics,” he said.
Godinho said that the panchayat bodies and government are in consensus not to fight the elections on party lines. “There has to be some neutrality. Irrespective of party affiliations, let good people, social workers, etc who have done something for the public get elected,” he said.
The Minister said that the finalisation of wards delimitation is currently in process. “SEC in consultation with the State government is undertaking the process. SEC as well as government has received many representation and suggestions. There were some anomalies raised by the people. SEC is going into the details,” he said.
Godinho said that once delimitation is notified, SEC will move a file for reservation of wards, which has to be done following the rotation policy. He ruled out possibility of giving more reservation to Schedule Tribes (ST) or Schedule Castes (SC).
SEC received around 913 suggestions for corrections to the draft panchayat ward delimitation for necessary rectification. Of these, 650 were received in North Goa and 263 in South.
A maximum number of 399 suggestions received were from Bardez taluka followed by 127 from Tiswadi.
The delimitation of wards has been done using the web-based system. The wards are constituted considering the geographical contiguity and natural boundaries and number of voters.
