Navhind Times | 5 days ago | 15-05-2022 | 01:42 am
Staff ReporterPanajiSix wards have been added by the State Election Commission (SEC) to the total number of wards in the 186 village panchayats, which are due to go to the polls in the next month.These local bodies now have a total of 1,528 wards as against the 1,522 during the last panchayat elections, which were held in 2017. The notification for delimitation of the wards has already been issued by the poll body.As per the notified delimitation, as many as 36 village panchayats have a maximum of 11 wards each, while 49 village panchayats have nine wards each. A total of 93 panchayats have seven wards each and the remaining eight panchayats have five wards each.In Bicholim’s Surla village panchayat, the wards have been decreased to seven from the existing nine, while in Salcete taluka, the wards in Rumdamol-Davorlim village panchayat have been increased to nine from the earlier seven wards.In Quepem, changes have been made in two village panchayats. In Xeldem, the wards have been increased from the existing nine to eleven and in Barcem-Quedem, the wards have been increased from the existing sevento nine.In Canacona’s Shrishthal village panchayat, the wards have been increased to nine from the earlier seven wards.The delimitation has been finalised on the basis of parameters such as the natural boundary, geographical continuity and the number of voters.The distance from the polling booth has also been considered by the Commission while carrying out the delimitation process.The poll body has reportedly completed the reservation of wards and also recommended the date for the panchayat polls to the government. However, it is not yet clear if the polls will be held before the expiry of the five-year term of the outgoing elected bodies.The government is facing a dilemma over the Supreme Court’s triple test order on reservation of wards for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with regard to the village panchayat polls. The government has to take a call either to defer the panchayat polls for a period of six months and complete the triple test exercise for reservation of wards for OBCs or to go ahead with the elections without reserving even a single ward of the 186 village panchayats for the OBC category.
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