The date of the panchayat election has the State into a debate. Clarifying the SC verdict on the OBC ruling and requirement of triple test before elections, Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the triple test is mandatory by the Panchayat Raj Act. The triple test includes: first a study by commission, secondly, after the report, the amount of reservation has to be decided and third how to go about the 25% reservation.”
In the case of the forthcoming elections, the triple test hasn’t been done. Speaking to Prime Media, he said, the file which the Government of Goa had sent to him on the Panchayat election reservation has no data on OBC reservation as per Supreme Court direction and it has to be done by the OBC commission. “Basic data on OBC population we have, now OBC commission has to prepare it’s report on it, this opinion I have sent to Government. Now it’s up to Government and SEC to decide on election,” he added.
The Election date, he mentioned will be decided by the EC and Govt. He explained that, “It is absolutely to the discretion of the EC and SC. There can be a vacuum from date of expiry of last term. Same happened at the time of Municipality election due to Covid. Under certain circumstances, there is a provision for delay.” It can be postpone for 3 months maximum.
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-Tukaram Marathe, Panjim