Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The residents of Pilgao panchayat have threatened they would boycott the panchayat elections if the delimitation of the wards done by the panchayat secretary is not rectified.
It may be stated that Pilgao panchayat has five wards. Today several villagers including the panch members gathered at the panchayat demanding the delimitation done by the secretary be withdrawn before the elections. “The secretary had done all the mess in the delimitation of the wards of the panchayat. This is a very small panchayat and we don’t know as to how the secretary had worked out this new delimitation of the wards” sarpanch, Babaji Gaonkar told.
“There are about three wards in which there are dramatic changes done. There are some names of the same family figuring in different wards. We are surprised to see that people from same family are placed in different wards and this will surely affect a person who is contesting the next election” Gaonkar said. The sarpanch and panch memebers allege that the secretary has not taken them into confidence while doing the changes.
“We demand that we need the wards as they were during 2012 and if this delimitation is not changed we would boycott the election” a resident told.
As per the residents the people from ward no 2 and 3 are affected the most while there are some minor changes in other wards. When contacted the panchayat secretary, Sameer Parrikar accepted that he did not consult the local panch members while doing the delimitation. “I had consulted the BLO who knows everyone in the village and had done the changes. It is true that I am not properly aware about the geographical area of the panchayat.” the secretary told.
