Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The State Election Commission today informed High Court that it is prerogative of the Government to decide on reservation of wards and it cannot intervene in the process.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa yesterday had asked State Election Commission to submit a reply by tomorrow whether they will be going ahead and asking for the state government to correct the discrepancies in reservation.
SEC today told HC that it cannot ask the state government to rectify the discrepancies in the reservation or delimitation if any as it is prerogative of the state government.
“we have to go ahead with the election even if DMA does wrong in reservation and delimitation,” SEC told HC
When the matter came up for hearing, the petitioner argued that fhere are several municipalities where less wards are reserved for women than mandatory 33.33% as per law.
The petitioner cited example of Bicholim and Cuncolim Municipalities where the reservation for women is only 29%.
The petitioner also argued that in Mormugao Municipality the rotation or allotment of reservation is done in haphazard manner.
On Monday, the High Court had pulled up State Election Commission for declaring poll schedule despite the petitions challenging reservation pending before them.
The court is hearing at least 11 petitions challenging the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Act 2021, as well as reservations and delimitation of municipal wards.
When the petitions came up for hearing on Monday the bench rapped the Commission for declaring the elections in a ‘hurried manner’.
