Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: With a Bill on municipal ward delimitation left pending after the recent Assembly session was curtailed due to the Model Code of Conduct, the State government is now considering issuing an Ordinance to implement population as the basis for redrawing wards ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
PWD Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday said the decision comes in view of an expected drop in the proportion of registered voters following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. He noted that while delimitation was earlier shifted from population-based to voter-based criteria, the government now plans to revert to population figures.
Kamat stated that the Bill to restore population as the key criterion was slated for discussion in the last Assembly session but could not be taken up. As a result, the government intends to proceed through an Ordinance to operationalise the change.
He also announced that the number of wards in the Margao Municipal Council will be increased from 25 to 27 for the forthcoming polls.
Addressing concerns over sopo collection fees in Margao, Kamat said he has instructed the Chief Officer to ensure that vendors are not overcharged and that contractors adhere strictly to the prescribed rates.
Reacting to objections raised by Gandhi Market leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar regarding the reassessment of market stalls, Kamat said measurement of stalls is the most effective way to resolve disputes over fees. He added that the municipal council would be compelled to act if there is any resistance to the measurement process.
