Barring Cuncolim constituency, most VPs yet to settle on names for sarpanchas, deputies
MARGAO
Last ditch efforts were underway on Sunday in Salcete countryside to cobble up the magic numbers in a bid to form the panchayats ahead of the election for the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch posts scheduled on Monday.
With no dearth of claimants for these coveted posts, The Goan understands that many a claim has been settled via consensus, with the claimants agreeing to rotate the chair during the
5-year term.
However, in many a village panchayat in Navelim constituency as well as other panchayats bodies, the situation still remained unclear till Sunday evening, with politicos promising another round of meeting with the elected panchas to decide on the choice of the candidates for the two posts.
The Goan understands among all the constituencies in Salcete, the panchayats in Cuncolim constituency represented by MLA Clafacio Dias seems to have a smooth sailing. Clafacio told The Goan that his groups at Paroda, Guirdolim and Macazana have already decided candidates for the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch.
“At Paroda, former sarpanch Inacio Pereira and Rupali Goankar will head the panchayat body. First-time panch, 23-year-old Melissa Carvalho and Franky Rodrigues will head the Guirdolim panchayat as sarpanch and deputy sarpanch. Former sarpanch Agnelo D’Costa has been shortlisted to head the Macazana panchayat and Felicidade Vaz as the deputy,” Clafacio said
Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues, sources said, also had a free run, barring Velim panchayat, where an independent group headed by Savio D’Silva has claimed to have cobbled up the numbers to form the panchayat.
However, Filipe’s supporters seemed all set to head the panchayats in Ambelim, Assolna, Chinchinim, Sarzora, Dramapur and Sao Jose
de Areal.
“In Velim, the newly-elected panchas were supposed to meet on Sunday evening and decide on the candidate for the post of sarpanch. There are two panchas, who have staked claim for the post. I have left it for the elected members to take a call,” Filipe Neri told The Goan, while asserting that his supporters will head the panchayats elsewhere in the
constituency.
Incidentally, suspense continues to prevail at some of the panchayat bodies in Navelim represented by MLA Luizinho Faleiro. While Navelim ZP member Cipru Cardozo claimed that Wilma will head Navelim village as sarpanch and former sarpanch Paul Pereira as deputy sarpanch, suspense rent the air over the choice of candidate for the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch of Aquem-Baixo and
Rumdamol panchayats.
Sources said a group of newly-elected panchas were scheduled to sit late Sunday evening to decide the candidate for the post of sarpanch.
While the situation in many a panchayat area in Benaulim constituency appears cleared, suspense still continues as to who will head the Colva panchayat body, with MLA Churchill Alemao’s group divided between sitting sarpanch Menino Fernandes and former deputy sarpanch Anthony Mam. Sources said a group of panchas elect met on Sunday to take stock of the situation and decide on the choice of candidate for Monday’s election.
In Nuvem constituency, MLA Wilfred D’Sa said that efforts to forge a consensus candidate for the post of sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch in the villages of Majorda, Verna, Nagoa and Loutolim.
