PANJIM: Admitting that the ongoing panchayat election process has been ‘disturbed’ due to the various disputes before the Court, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said such interventions should not have been entertained at this stage.
“The Supreme Court has time and again repeated its judgement issued in the past, that once the election process starts, interventions cannot be entertained or done. Except for the Election Commission and natural calamities, there should be no other interventions,” Parrikar told media persons referring to petitions filed before the High Court challenging reservation and delimitation of wards that led to postponement of polls in 15 wards.
“Once the process starts there are several disputes but those should never be considered when the process is on,” he said and added, “We had argued on the same ground before the High Court that went ahead and stayed the elections.”
Parrikar also said the government will amend the Panchayat Raj Act to hand over the process of delimitation and reservation of wards to the State Election Commission (SEC). He said he has issued directives that immediately after the elections, let SEC take over the job.
Parrikar said once the process is in effect, if an aspiring candidate finds his ward is reserved, he can contest from another ward. “Usually the decision of reservation at the last minute causes heartburn,” he said.
