TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: As many as three panchayats in Salcete taluka are functioning without sarpanchas since last month.
While the sarpanch of Aquem-Baixo and Guirdolim were voted out of office via no trust motions on August 19, the Dramapur-Sirlim Sarpanch was dislodged last week.
Aquem-Baixo Sarpanch Geeta Damu Naik was ousted from office when the no-confidence motion was carried by 6-0 votes, while the motion against Guirdolim Sarpanch Milagres de Chandor was carried by 5-0 votes. At Dramapur-Sirlim, both Sarpanch Olasrico Rodrigues and deputy Edcy Fernandes were voted out of office as the no-trust motion was carried by 4-0 votes.
While the Panchayat Director has ordered appointment of Administrators to manage the affairs of Guirdolim and Dramapur-Sirlim, there’s no sign of early election to fill up the vacant posts.
When contacted, officials in the Salcete BDO office pointed out that it is the prerogative of the Panchayat Director to hold elections for the vacant posts of sarpanchas, reminding that the Panchayat Director has 60 days time at his disposal to fill up the vacancies.
Panchayat Director Narayan Sawany was unavailable for comment, even as panchayat officials admitted in private that the rule by administrators ought to be a stop-gap arrangement and the Director should not wait for the 60 days to hold elections for the vacant posts.
