CM firm on going ahead with civic polls on Apr 23

PANAJI 
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday ruled out deferring the elections to five municipalities amid the surge in Covid-19 cases even as Goa like the rest of the country continued to reel under the weight of a ferocious second wave.

Sawant said restrictions will be imposed on indoor and outdoor meetings and added that the elections need to be held.

The Collectors (District Magistrates) will be issuing a fresh order outlining restrictions on meetings.

Sawant paradoxically urged people to “avoid large gatherings” including political meetings, crowded places and weddings.

When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, Sawant had similarly insisted on going ahead with the election process then at an advanced stage for electing 50 representatives to the two district panchayat bodies -- North and South Goa Zilla Panchayats.

However, he was later forced to take a decision otherwise and postpone polling at the eleventh hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a national “Janata Curfew” across the nation on March 22, 2020, the day polling was to be held for the ZP elections. Eventually, the polling was completed in December last year.

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate (DM), North, issued prohibitory orders stating that restaurants, bars, tea shops, pan shops, eateries and other food shops / joints (dhabas, gaddas) etc, situated in jurisdiction of Mapusa Municipal Council areas of Bardez taluka and Ward No II of Karapur-Sarvan village of Bicholim taluka within 200 metres of the polling station from 6 am to 9 pm on the day of poll on April 23, 2021 and from 6 am till the end of counting of votes on April 26, 2021, at counting centers of respective talukas in North district, will  remain closed, in view of Mapusa Municipal Council Election and by-election to Ward No II of Karapur-Sarvan village of Bicholim Taluka of North Goa District.

Similarly, also there is a ban on any gathering or crowd comprising more than five persons within 200 meters of any polling stations in the jurisdiction of Mapusa Municipal Council area of Bardez taluka and Ward No II of Karapur-Sarvan village of Bicholim taluka on April 23, 2021.

    The DM also directed that the above restrictions shall not apply to public servants on duty and to bonafide marriage or funeral processions or religious processions/ functions.

Failure to comply with this order shall be liable for penal action under section 188 of Indian Penal Code and other relevant provisions of laws in force, the DM stated.