PANAJI
As the uncertainty looms over Goa Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Opposition has strongly opposed any plans of the government to revert back to the department level recruitment process.
The SSC “ the brain child of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant “ set up to bring in much needed transparency in the recruitment process following allegations of ‘cash for jobs’, has now hit a major roadblock, with BJP central leadership dictating the Chief Minister not to go ahead with SSC recruitment but instead the same be carried out by each department.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar said that the party won’t allow the government to return to their fraudulent departmental recruitment method.
He said that the BJP government has refused to learn from its past recruitment scams in the department of PWD, health, police, GMC and Collectorate. “There is no question of going back to such recruitments. Goa’s youth deserve jobs on merit and not corruption,” Patkar said.
The three-member Goa Staff Selection Commission was established by the Goa Staff Selection Commission Act, 2019. The Commission, since December, last year, started issuing advertisements for appointments of various subordinate services/posts (Group “C” posts) across various departments.
When contacted, Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief and MLA Vijai Sardesai said that the plan to scrap SSC exposes the shameless nature of the government.
Pointing out that Goa has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country with allegations of cash for jobs scam, Sardesai said ‘yet the government decides to do away with a mechanism that supposedly ensures unbiased recruitment’.
Sources informed that moves have started to scrap SSC but when it will materialise, will have to wait and see.
It has also been learnt from sources that the government has kept a provision in the Act wherein in case of difference of opinion on recruitment between the departments and the Commission, the matter would be referred to the government for final decision. As per sources, close to 1,100 jobs were supposed to be advertised and filled through SSC in the coming one year.
