MARGAO
It’s official. In a major development that is seen as a major setback to the BJP-ruled Margao Municipal Council, MMC Chief Officer, Gaurish Sankhwalkar on Wednesday finally issued a notice to withdraw the recruitment process set in motion by the civic body on August 10 to fill up the 43 posts, including eight LDCs, one mason and 34 workers.
Chief Officer Sankhwalkar’s move to issue the notice, cancelling the recruitment process is seen as an indication that Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane had his way in cancelling the process in the Margao civic body and a setback for Congress-turned-Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, who had time and again maintained that the order to cancel the recruitment process will be rolled back by the government.
The MMC Chief Officer issued the notice on Wednesday stating that the advertisement published in the local dailies dated August 11 is hereby withdrawn and be treated as cancelled. Director, Urban Development Gurudas Pilarnekar has confirmed that the MMC Chief Officer has issued a notice on Wednesday to cancel the recruitment process set in motion by the civic body on August 10.
Local political observers adopted a wait and watch attitude how the latest development will have a bearing on the stability of the 11-month old BJP-ruled Margao Municipal Council.
For, the powers that be had promised to recruit the siblings of at least two ruling councillors as Lower Divisional Clerks (LDCs) in the civic body in lieu of their support for the ruling party in the October 12 elections for the Margao civic chairperson.
In fact, one of the two councillors had gone to the media after the Director, Urban Development had written to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer around a fortnight ago to withdraw the recruitment process as cancelled on the plea that he had extended support to the BJP to form the Council after a promise was made to recruit his sibling as an LDC.
The Chief Officer’s decision to issue the notice cancelling the recruitment process is also seen in the corridors of the Margao civic body as a setback to the ruling Council. For, sources informed that when the Chief Officer had initially prepared a file to cancel the recruitment process soon after receiving instructions from the Director, Urban Development, the file never came back to the CO’s chamber after it had gone to the chamber of the Chairperson.
Chief Officer Sankhwalkar is believed to have maintained that complying with the directions of the Director, Urban Development is purely an administrative matter and that he is left with no choice than to comply with the directions.
The Director, Urban Development Gurudas Pilarnekar had sent a letter to the MMC Chief Officer on August 24 drawing the notice of the Chief Officer to the note put up by Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane with a direction that all recruitments in the Municipal Councils to be done either by the Director of Urban Development or through the Staff Selection Commission. The letter further stated that in view of the Minister’s direction that the MMC advertisement dated August 10, 2023 issued by the Chief may be withdrawn as cancelled.
Since the time the Director, Urban Development sent the letter for the cancellation of the recruitment process, Congress-turned-Margao MLA Digambar Kamat had reassured the ruling councillors that he would get the government rollback the decision.
In fact, Kamat had told the media that he has discussed the matter with Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane and was expecting a decision from the Director, Urban Development to withdraw the letter sent to the MMC to cancel the recruitment process.
The Director, Urban Development, Gurudas Pilarnekar, however, had declined to withdraw his letter sent to the MMC on the ground that the Urban Development Minister has not withdrawn the note mandating him to cancel the MMC recruitment process.
