Panaji: Goa government on Thursday appointed retired IAS officer W V Ramanamurthy as State Election Commissioner ahead of the crucial municipal elections in the state.
The post of SEC was vacant after C R Garg, who also held the position was State Law Secretary, resigned from the post last week, after the Supreme Court order.
The SC, while upholding the order of Goa Bench of Bombay High Court over quashing of notification reserving wards in five municipal councils, had also questioned appointment of Garg to the post.
The elections for all the five municipal councils have been rescheduled, with State government yet to announce the dates.
Goa government on Thursday issued the order designating Ramanamurthy as the new SEC. The officer has formerly served as Managing Director of state-run Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
The order reads “In pursuance of Clause (1) of Article 243-K of the Constitution of India read with sub-section (1) of Section 237 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (Goa Act 14 of 1994), the Governor of Goa is pleased to appoint W. V. Ramanamurthy, IAS (Retired), as the Commissioner of the Goa State Election Commission with immediate effect.”
State Governor B S Koshyari had cleared the proposal of Goa government to appoint Ramanamurthy as new SEC on Wednesday evening.
