A preliminary inquiry ordered by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Goa, has found no evidence to support allegations of illegal voter transfers from Curtorim to Fatorda, stating that the inclusion of 31 electors in the Fatorda electoral roll in 2017 followed the prescribed legal procedure.

The inquiry was initiated after Fatorda MLA and Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai lodged a complaint with the CEO’s office on October 16, alleging that more than 50 voters from Curtorim had been unlawfully shifted to Fatorda while retaining their original house numbers.

According to the inquiry report, the issue dates back to the 2017 Special Summary Revision (SSR), when the GFP had similarly raised concerns over the alleged transfer of 53 voters from Curtorim to Fatorda.

The report acknowledges that the 53 voters had previously appeared on the Curtorim electoral roll. However, during the claims and objections period in 2017, a total of 96 people submitted Form 6 applications seeking inclusion in the Fatorda electoral roll.

Of these, 31 applications were accepted by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Fatorda, while the remaining applications were rejected. The names of the 31 approved applicants were subsequently deleted from the Curtorim electoral roll and included in Fatorda through a supplementary electoral roll.

The inquiry report states that available records indicate the inclusion of these electors was preceded by the submission and processing of Form 6 applications. Copies of the applications are available with the office of the ERO, Fatorda.

The report also notes that no political party has filed a Form 7 application seeking the deletion of names from the Fatorda electoral roll since 2017, including during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Based on the records examined, the preliminary inquiry found no basis for the allegation that the 31 electors were illegally transferred to Fatorda.