PANAJI: Election procedures and guidelines set by the chief election commission (CEC) of India, including the process of admitting voters into the electoral roll, are not being followed by mamlatdars in Goa, the Pilerne Citizens' Forum (PCF) has alleged .
Using the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the PCF submitted a common questionnaire to the 11 mamlatdar offices in Goa and got different replies from each.
"Democracy in shambles," advocate Yatish Naik of the PCF said, addressing a press conference on Tuesday morning.
The PCF used the RTI to first ask the CEC, New Delhi, on November 25, 2008, for information about election procedures and guidelines laid down to enroll voter names.
After receiving the reply, the PCF filed RTI applications to find out if all the 11 mamlatdars in Goa, who play the role of electoral registration officers, were aware of the election procedures and guidelines and if they were following the same.
"For example: we asked if an applicant is residing in a rented place, should he/she get a NOC from the landlord? Different mamlatdars gave us different replies," Naik said.
According to the RTI replies produced by the PCF, the Ponda mamlatdar replied, "No such guidelines have been issued."
The Canacona, Bicholim and Quepem mamlatdars, in turn, said, "Yes." While the Mormugao mamlatdar replied, "Not necessary."
"Shouldn't all the answers have been one and the same if the laws are specified and applicable to the whole of India?" Naik asked.
"We reiterate that the PCF is not against migrants being given voting rights. Every person has the right to vote in this country, but if guidelines are not being followed by the state electoral authorities it gives rise to suspicion that people who legally cannot vote in Goa are being allowed to do so," said forum president Prakash Bandodkar.
In another RTI query, PCF asked the 11 mamlatdars what would happen to an illiterate or semi-literate person who is not in possession of required documents in support of proof of birth.
While CEC guidelines state that such an applicant must attach a declaration (form of oath or affirmation) by either of the parents who are already included in the electoral roll, none of the mamlatdars mentioned this procedure in their replies.
The mamlatdars' replies also deferred from set chief election commission guidelines to a question about an elector who seeks to transfer his/her name from one state to another state and one constituency to another.
Another question asking what should be done if an elector in the 25+ age group seeks registration in a new place on change of residence, but without an EPIC having been issued earlier, also received different replies from 10 mamlatdars, excluding Bardez.
The Bardez mamlatdar replied, "This office does not have the copies of guidelines/circular from the Election Commission to answer the question."
"The PCF demands that the state government and election commissioner of Goa intervene in this serious matter at the earliest and rectify the blatant irregularities, or we will take up the matter in the high court," said PCF's Paul Fernandes.
