AERIAL VIEW
The Apex court has also said that the polls cannot be delayed for delimitations and reservations.
So when the order is crystal clear, why does Mauvin Godinho wants to send the SC order to Advocate General for opinion and delay the elections further?
The panchayat elections in Goa were scheduled to be held on June 4, and later Godinho said it would be delayed by a week, but after the SC order, which means nothing for Goa, there is no certainty when the elections would be held.
The minister said that the OBC Commission will have to complete the reservation formalities within six months.
But Mr Godinho, is it practically possible to complete the survey and reservation within six months? NO. So why delay elections? Declare them without reservations.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Even when the Supreme Court order is clear on the Other Backward Classes reservations for the panchayat polls, the Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho says the government may delay the panchayat polls for re-notifying reservations.
The Supreme Court orde3r is quite clear on the OBC quota as it has asked the Madhya Pradesh Government to hold polls without reservations for OBC.
The Apex court has also said that the polls cannot be delayed for delimitations and reservations.
So when the order is crystal clear, why does Mauvin Godinho wants to send the SC order to Advocate General for opinion and delay the elections further?
The panchayat elections in Goa were scheduled to be held on June 4, and later Godinho said it would be delayed by a week, but after the SC order, which means nothing for Goa, there is no certainty when the elections would be held.
The minister said that the OBC Commission will have to complete the reservation formalities within six months.
But Mr Godinho, is it practically possible to complete the survey and reservation within six months? NO. SO why delay elections? Declare them without reservations.
The decision on when the election should be held has to be taken by the State Election Commissioner and not the panchayat minister or the chief minister. The SEC has to seek opinion, if any, and not the government.
This speaks volumes of the government’s interference in the democratic process.
Mauvin’s statement that SC wants a triple test for the OBC quota is not in sync with the Apex court order, which said the elections cannot be delayed even if the triple test is not completed.
If the elections are delayed and any petitioner approaches court, the Go Government may face contempt proceedings.
Another issue is the triple test for OBC quota is not something new and was mandated five months ago by SC in the Maharashtra case.
The Supreme Court in January said it is mandatory to comply with the triple test, laid down in its judgment by the apex court, before reserving seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local body polls, as it asked the Maharashtra government to submit OBC data to the state Backward Classes Commission to determine their representation in local bodies.
On December 6, the top court held that 27 per cent OBC reservation could not be implemented without setting up a commission and collating “contemporaneous empirical data” to ascertain the extent of reservation required to be provided local body-wise despite the statutory provision in that regard.
So why did the State government and the State Election Commission start the process then? Maybe they were too busy in the State Assembly elections, right Mr Godinho, Mr Sawant?