Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA – Stating favouritism is the backbone of Wards reservation in the pre-OBC list, residents have now pointed out that Agonda panchayat is singled out to keep certain community aspiring candidates from contesting the panchayat elections.
In the first list, brought out by SEC after declaring the panchayat election date as 10th August, the reservation for ST and Women candidates have generated strong criticism in certain Panchayat after critics complained of not following the correct rotation procedures in relation to previous reservations.
For example, certain wards which were due for women’s reservation as per the rotation process in 7 and 9 members panchayats were not reserved at all, while wards which had reservations (especially women’s reservation) were again reserved just after two terms. Some of the wards in 7 members Panchayat kept open and unreserved for 4th time in a row, alleged a few aspiring candidates.
Incidentally, after the OBC reservation is introduced, the OBC reservation is introduced in four of the seven panchayats of Canacona, clandestinely effecting change in the previous reservation of only one Panchayat (Agonda), while new and unreserved wards are reserved for OBC candidates at Loliem-Polem, Poinguinim and Shrishthal.
At Agonda, in the previous reservation list, ward no. 3 was ST reserved, while wards nos 1, 2 and 6 were reserved for women keeping wards no 4, 5 and 7 for general candidates.
Interestingly, ward no.5, which was due for reservation for the second time since the last election, is kept unreserved for the 4th time (term) in a row. In the new list, ward no.3, having a sizeable ST community, is now changed and reserved for OBC candidates along with ward no. 6(again double reserved for women) Ward no.7, which according to sources, has no ST representations, is now reserved as an ST seat.
According to outgoing Sarpanch Badal Naikgaunkar, ‘the seats/wards reservation as far as Agonda Panchayat is concerned is made only to keep my family and me away from the panchayat’.
Sources further pointed out that following Assembly elections, Naikgaunkar, who also had his younger brother as Panch (and former Sarpanch) besides his mother as Ex-, Sarpanch of the village, has openly canvassed for ex-BJP MLA and Dy Speaker Isidore Fernandes (contesting as Independent) has expressed his desire that his family members (belonging to a general category) will contest not less than four4 wards, and in fact put a panel of candidates.
Outgoing Sarpanch (Badal Naikgaunkar) ward (7) is now reserved for ST, while his brother and outgoing Panch and ex-Sarpanch (Barsat Naikgaunkar) ward 5 is double reserved for OBC Women. However, an unperturbed Naikgaunkar says, “I am not only contesting and entering panchayat from ward 5, but also my panel consisting of 6 others will be elected, and I will again form the panchayat.”
Similarly, dissent is also brewing in Loliem -Polem, Poinguinim and Shrishthal panchayats that not only OBC reservations but also ST and women reservations are introduced just to keep away certain names who are affiliated with former Canacona MLAs.
Parent seats of several Sarpanches and prominent Panchs, who are involved in various social works in their localities, find themselves left in the lurch for not being a political supporter of the present political dispensation.
‘Irrespective of getting elected to the panchayats, our services will always be with the people not only from our village but also every needy one’s ‘, informed outgoing Loliem-Polem Sarpanch Sachin Naik, who informed, inspite of political inferences, his parent seat is still open for him. ‘But our former Sarpanch and active person like Former sarpanch Ajay Lolienkar, Nishant Prabhudessai parent seats/wards are put in the reserved category, but still, we are also getting atleast one of them back to the Panchayat, people need them”.
In Khotigao also, a former Sarpanch Rajesh Gaonkar seat is reserved for women, but outgoing Sarpanch Daya Gaonkar is also all set to get elected safely. ‘We will continue to provide our services for the benefit of the people irrespective of someone putting any amount of hurdles to our social journey”, informed Daya Gaonkar.