2021 - PWD recruitment of 360 engineers
BJP faced a jolt after its own MLA and Minister Atanasio Monserrate exposed a major job scam in the recruitment of over 360 posts of Junior Engineer and Technical Assistant. Monserrate accused former Minister Deepak Pauskar of selling engineer posts, alleging a Rs 70 crore scam. He said that he got proof that people paid Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakhs to the Minister for each post.
Following the allegation, which cropped up just ahead of the State Assembly elections, the Pramod Sawant-led government ordered an inquiry pending which the entire process was kept on hold and subsequently cancelled by the BJP government, after coming back to power in March 2022.
The cancellation was challenged in the Bombay High Court in Goa. Almost 106 candidates, who were selected for posts, moved the court challenging the decision of the government. In January, 2023, the government decided to conduct a re-examination of all the candidates who had applied for the posts in 2021.
2023 - PWD Minister Cabral asked to step down
The re-examination or fresh process to recruit 360 engineers and technical assistants was again marred by controversy over a job scam. This time it involved then Minister Nilesh Cabral.
Several MLAs within the ruling were upset over the denial of posts to the candidates recommended by them, which led to unrest within the saffron cadre. The MLAs even approached the party high command, exposing a multi-crore scam in the recruitment process.
The matter is currently pending before the High Court. Subsequently, the allegation forced the party to ask Cabral to step down, thus making way for Congress defector Aleixo Sequeira in the cabinet.
2021 - GMC recruitment under scanner
Ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections, the State government carried out a recruitment drive for GMC for 805 vacancies advertised in March and 556 vacancies in October, 2021.
A total of 1,372 candidates were issued appointment letters that included lab technicians, lab assistants, barbers, pharmacists, junior technicians and staff nurses.
A petition was filed in the High Court alleging that the recruitment was illegal and unconstitutional. The petitioner asked for scrapping of the posts. The posts were subsequently scrapped.
2024 - Govt cancels direct recruitment of DySP post
The Goa Public Service Commission in August 2023, advertised for 28 posts, of which 14 were in the unreserved category, eight for OBC, four for ST, and two for EWS.
As many as 2,500 aspirants applied for the positions. A total of 90 cleared the pre-screening of whom 62 passed the second round. However, the government decided to put an end to the direct recruitment following a petition before the HC. Some police inspectors, in line for promotion, had moved the HC challenging the govt decision of direct recruitment.
2022 - PSI recruitment under question
Despite irregularities in the recruitment process and pending inquiry, the government went ahead with the selection and appointment of over 600 posts including that of police sub-inspectors, constables and home guards.
The government had advertised the posts for recruitment of 145 PSIs, 134 constables and 296 home guards in March 2021. The physical tests conducted for the posts got mired in controversy after it was alleged that the applicants who had failed the tests were illegally cleared.
Following the allegations, five committees headed by DySPs were constituted to review the entire recruitment process and also to scan the videos of the physical tests of the PSI recruits, who were qualified to appear in the written test. It was found that they were shown as marked pass when they had in fact failed.
The Goa Police Establishment Board headed by DGP was supposed to take a decision on the inquiry findings in consultation with the State government. However, the government went ahead with the recruitment.
