Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa State Election Commission (GSEC) has issued a revised notification on ward delimitation for all 11 municipal councils, following a High Court order that struck down its earlier notification over procedural lapses.
The fresh notification, issued on Monday, comes after the Bombay High Court at Goa directed the commission to revisit the delimitation process and comply with the legal requirement of consulting the state government.
The municipal councils covered under the latest notification are Margao, Mapusa, Mormugao, Curchorem-Cacora, Bicholim, Pernem, Canacona, Valpoi, Sanguem, Quepem and Cuncolim.
The court had earlier annulled the SEC’s September 9 notification after finding that the commission had proceeded with the ward delimitation without following the prescribed consultation process. It instructed the commission to examine objections to the proposed ward boundaries and complete the exercise by October 26.
As part of the directions, the commission was required to submit all 77 objections received on the draft delimitation to the state government. The records were to include reports and maps prepared by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), decisions on individual objections and other documents relevant to the exercise.
The court emphasised that these records were necessary for the government to properly examine the proposals and provide its views under Section 10(3) of the applicable Act.
It also pointed out that the government had not been given the supporting material used to determine the ward boundaries and that the commission had moved ahead without waiting for its response.
Following the court’s intervention, the SEC was directed to submit the complete delimitation file to the government for consultation before proceeding further.
