Do we need 52,542 government servants for a small state likeGoa? Does the government have a mechanism to track their performances? Well,with e-governance, government work was meant to be increasingly done bymachines and less by inefficient government employees, whose numbers shouldhave dwindled to improve efficiency and economy of operations.
Following a question raised by MLA Mavin Godinho as to howmany employees were employed by the state, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikarreplied that there were 52,542 employees in all government departmentsincluding staff of corporations, autonomous bodies and grants-in aids institutions.This works out to a government servant for every 30 Goans.
“We should stop burdening the state exchequers asrecruitments are done for those departments which already have excess employeesand departments who need staff are left out. I feel that the staff selectioncommission should be an independent body” said Mavin Godinho
Additional secretary personnel Yetindra Maralkar said “Thereis no accountability on performance and it is the head of department who keepsa check on the employees”.
Roland Martins, Convener, Goa CAN said “We do not have anysystem to track government employees. There is no penalty system for notcompleting work on time. The central government is now moving a bill inparliament which will impose fines on employees who violate norms of the CitizenCharter”.
“Unfortunately, due to political recruitments by successivegovernments, the Goan bureaucracy is now bloated and has reached a point wherethe exchequer can no longer bear the unwarranted financial strain. A total banon any further recruitment, together with relocation and reassignment of thecurrent work force, alone can set things right” said social activist Adv. AiresRodgriues.
