GOA’S POLITICIANS SUPPRESS EC ORDERS FOR FIVE YEARS

PANJIM: Politicians, deputy collectors and mamlatdars colluded to suppress for 5 years, the Election Commission of India's (ECI) order to appoint booth level officers (BLOs), to illegally induct non-eligible voters in the electoral rolls in Goa, the Pilerne Citizens' Forum (PCF) alleged on Saturday.

PCF president Prakash Bandodkar told reporters that the deputy collectors and mamlatdars deliberately ignored the circular of the ECI dated August 9, 2006 and a subsequent circular of the chief electoral officer, Goa, dated August 21, 2006, to appoint booth level officers in Goa.  "This was to prepare illegal vote banks for politicians. Today, there must be at least 2 lakh illegal voters in the electoral rolls in Goa," Bandodkar alleged.

The crook Bandodkar alleged that booth level officers have been appointed in Goa only in 2011, that too after the PCF went to court in an electoral roll-related matter.

The PCF distributed copies of the two circulars to the media, which Bandodkar obtained under the RTI Act. The PCF obtained the information in connection with their petition before the high court of Bombay at Panjim.  The petition is related to illegalities in the electoral rolls in Goa. "We will filed a rejoinder in the high court about this development," Bandodkar said.

The PCF has demanded action against those who are responsible for violating the two circulars. But Bandodkar said the offenders include everyone, right from the mamlatdars to the district collectors themselves because the district collectors failed to implement their own orders.  "No one will take action against anyone because everyone is involved. Only the high court can take action against them," Bandodkar said.