The directorate of municipal administration (DMA) issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday afternoon.

The actual term of the PMC ended on February 6 and it was necessary to have fresh elections to the council, however, the DMA
had planned to delimit the wards of the council and had asked the state
election commission in December, 2012, for a time of four months.

The DMA had planned to add one more ward to the earlier 13 wards and at
the same time, had a plan to reorganize the 10 wards of Sankhali
municipal council (SMC), by sparing its two wards to form a new Arvalem
village panachayat.

Speaking to TOI, urban development minister
Francis D’Souza had said that the DMA was in the process of deleting
two wards from the SMC for the proposed Arvalem village panchayat and
rearrange the wards of the SMC to 10.

Besides, he had said that
they want to conduct the elections to PMC and SMC on the same day. Some
residents of Ponda had challenged the government decision to postpone
the PMC election before a court of law and the DMA had assured the court
that it may conduct the election by May 5.

But, Ponda
celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on May 5 and the
election commission sought permission from the court to hold elections
on May 12.

Six wards reserved: The director of municipal
administration Elvis Gomes said that a total of six wards among the 14
wards have been reserved for OBCs and women candidates.

Ward
numbers 2,5,8,11 and 14 are reserved for women and among them ward
numbers 8 and 14 would be especially reserved for women from the OBC
category. Ward number 4 has been reserved for OBC candidates, Gomes
said.