NT NETWORK
PANAJI
There is something not-so-ordinary about the ordinary meeting of the councillors of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, convened on February 21 and subsequently cancelled citing the reason of election code of conduct, which is in force in Goa.
In fact, the CCP commissioner had not communicated with the state chief electoral office over this matter, due to which the said office could neither raise any objection over the meeting nor permit it to take place.
The particular incident, which shows the bureaucratic misinterpretation of the election code of conduct, may not be an isolated one and not in the interest of the state.
State chief electoral officer Kunal clarified that he didn’t receive any specific communication in this regard from either the commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, or the directorate of municipal administration. He further added that “Only after looking at issues (related to the ordinary meeting of the CCP), any comment can be furnished by the office of the chief electoral officer.”City mayor Surendra Furtado, who is aggrieved at the decision of the CCP commissioner Dipak Desai to cancel the ordinary meeting of the CCP especially as the agenda of the meeting included ‘harmless’ items such as confirming the minutes of the previous meeting of the corporation’s standing committee and giving confirmation to the minutes of the earlier ordinary meeting of the CCP, alleged that the political pressure has forced the CCP commissioner to ‘illegally’ cancel the scheduled meeting.
“The government, which is in fact a caretaker government, is using its influence to stall the developmental activities of the city corporation, which is a local self-government body,” Furtado added, holding the government responsible for delaying city works such as beautification and landscaping of the Azad Maidan.
He also revealed that the commissioner is using the election code of conduct selectively, as the commissioner himself has placed an order on February 20, 2017 for purchase of Rs 62,404 worth two-wheeler on ‘priority basis’ for the use of corporation.
As per the election code of conduct, the bureaucrats need to obtain permission of the Election Commission of India for taking up activities/ works under their respective jurisdiction during the code period, citing details of the said activities/ works. The ECI then evaluates the activities/ works and takes decision as regards giving or denying permission for the same. This procedure is mandatory as the ECI is in the best position to interpret the election code of conduct imposed by it.
The city mayor said the CCP commissioner had informed him through a written communication as regards cancellation of the February 21 ordinary meeting, citing the reason of the in-force election code of conduct.