Govt to simplify process to reserve wards in urban areas

Panaji: The state cabinet on Thursday granted approval to amend the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, to make the reservation process simpler and more efficient, as per the population, and to determine the number of wards ahead of elections in municipal councils scheduled to be held in May.The bill will replace the words “municipal area” with “population” and change the number of voters from 2,500 to 3,000.The bill seeks to substitute the figures and words in a section of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, to have the wards or councillors as per the population in the municipal areas, and further to make the reservation process simpler and more efficient.The Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, was enacted by govt to consolidate and amend the law relating to municipalities in the state. However, some of the provisions of the act need to be amended to substitute the figures and words and to delete the word “leprosy” in a section of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968.“A fraction of such proportion, if less than one-half, shall be ignored, and if one-half or more, shall be considered as one in determining the number of seats,” the bill said.The bill said that the word “leprosy” shall be omitted.