Sancoale panchayat secretary suspended over procedural lapses

NT Reporter Panaji

Director of Panchayats Siddhi Halarnkar has placed secretary/gram sevak of the village panchayat of Sancoale, Orville C Vales, under suspension with immediate effect following an inquiry report by the Directorate of Vigilance, Panaji.

The suspension order was issued in response to a letter from the Additional Director-II of the Vigilance Directorate (dated July 2, 2025), which included the Anti-Corruption Branch’s (ACB) investigation findings based on a complaint received from Anand Chandra Bose, partner of Ultra Dwell Real Estate LLP, Vasco da Gama.

The ACB inquiry revealed “serious procedural lapses on the part of Vales which included flouting of established meeting procedures and unauthorised modification of official meeting resolutions which undermine the integrity of the decision-making process causing undue harassment to the applicants involved.”

The complaint, filed on May 2, 2024, accused Vales of “harassment, obstructing legitimate business and discriminating against his firms and client under the pretext of procedural irregularities which are non-existence or already regularised, selectively enforcing non-existent condition to extort money from the complainant and harassing his plot purchaser”.

Furthermore, the inquiry found that “Vales allegedly manipulated panchayat meeting minutes and resolutions. For instance, in the meeting dated March 28, 2025, resolutions were reportedly recorded as “unanimously passed” without actual discussion among members, thereby misleading the panchayat body. Also, modifications to previously passed resolutions were made without proper procedure, violating Section 56 of the Act,” the Panchayat director said in her report.

Additionally, “Vales is reported to have allowed deputy sarpanch Derick Vales to sign meeting records as “acting sarpanch” despite the sarpanch, Rohini Toraskar, being present during the proceedings. The minutes of the panchayat meetings held on February 18 and March 28, 2025, were also not submitted within the mandatory 10-day period, raising concerns of possible tampering”, the order said.

In another instance, “Orville Vales issued a construction licence to one party without requiring the necessary NOCs, while demanding such documents from other applicants.” This, the order noted, “is nothing less than harassment and discriminatory treatment”.

The ACB report states that during a site inspection at Survey No 188/1-A on April 28, 2025, where Orville Vales failed to identify himself or present valid identification, behaviour described as “unbecoming of a public servant.”

“The inquiry conducted reveals serious procedural lapses on the part of village panchayat Secretary Orville Vales, which undermine the integrity of the decision-making process causing undue harassment to the applicants involved.”

Citing violations of Rule 3 of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, the order said Vales failed to maintain “absolute integrity and devotion to duty” and acted in a manner “unbecoming of a Government Servant”.

“The suspension has been imposed under Rule 10(1) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. During the suspension period, Vales is directed to report to the office of the Block Development Officer, Mormugao, and is prohibited from leaving headquarters without official permission. He will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per applicable rules,” the order said.