TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CALANGUTE: The Election Code of Conduct has further delayed the appointment of a full-time panchayat secretary for the Calangute panchayat, which has been left with a part-time secretary since December 2013.
In the absence of a full-time panchayat secretary, the Calangute Panchayat sends its clerks to the Parra Panchayat office to obtain the signatures of Panchayat Secretary Eknath Talkar, who is holding additional charge of the Calangute Panchayat.
“However at times, the villagers have had to face hardships due to postponement of site inspections, as it is difficult for the additional panchayat secretary to give urgent attention to the Calangute Panchayat,” said a source at the Calangute panchayat.
Calangute Panch and de facto leader Joseph Sequeira has accused the State government of disrupting the normal functioning of the panchayat and causing considerable inconvenience to the villagers, by withholding the appointment of a full-time panchayat secretary.
“By doing this, the government wants the villagers to blame the panchayat for the ineffective service. How long are the villagers going to suffer and how can a large panchayat like Calangute function without a full-time panchayat secretary,” asked Sequeira.
When contacted, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo stated that a full-time panchayat secretary for Calangute Panchayat would be finalized after the election code of conduct is lifted in the State.
“The government has already initiated the process for finalization of panchayat secretary for Calangute Panchayat,” he said.
