Panchayat member issues cheques to panchs & herself, disqualified

Panaji: The Goa State Election Commission (SEC) has disqualified Emie Fernandes as member of the village panchayat of St Lawrence, Agasaim, due to her issuing cheque payments to 10 panchs and herself for pre- and post-monsoon work of desilting drains and bush cutting, carried out by the panchayat.“The practice followed by the St Lawrence panchayat in the last two terms to transfer the money by cheque to the panchs directly, instead of making payment to the hired daily wage workers, is taken on record. This practice of disbursement of payment to the daily wage workers through elected members is highly irregular and involves a gross violation of the general financial rules (GFR),” said GSEC commissioner, Daulat Hawaldar, in his judgment on a complaint by Hilario Pereira.Fernandes and the then panchayat secretary signed cheques to transfer money from the panchayat fund to the 11 members from 2022 to 2027. The commission stated that the secretary violated provisions of the GFR and failed to maintain the minimum financial discipline in the elected body.“The then sarpanch and present member Emie Fernandes signed the cheques/cheque of a total amount of Rs 75,000, which was transferred to her own account during June-Dec 2023, towards desilting of drains and cutting of bushes in ward IX. This act comes under the provision of Section 10(f) of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, where there is both direct and indirect share of the work done by the panchayat,” SEC stated.The sarpanch and then secretary transferred amounts ranging from Rs 30,000 to 55,000 each to 10 other panchs for desilting drains and cutting bushes. “The figures of payment to daily wage workers and the gross payment made to panchs do not correspond,” the SEC stated.“There are 191 panchayats in Goa. Pre-monsoon cleaning of gutters and post-monsoon bush cutting is routinely carried out every year. Panchayats carry out these activities from their own funds, and the expenditure from these funds has to follow the GFR,” it stated.The SEC added that after the general elections to the panchayat, the sarpanch and members were given induction training by the state training institute, GIPARD, regarding their duties and responsibilities.