PANAJI: The Congress party on Sunday alleged a scam in connection with the recent recruitment spree in various government departments and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
The government had initiated recruitment in various departments to fill up non-gazetted posts earlier this year and the allegation of a scam was made by Goa Pradesh Congress Party president Girish Chodankar at a press conference he addressed at the party headquarters here on Sunday.
Chodankar said, the government has compromised on the recruitment issue and recollected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on August 15, 2015 that for Group C and Group D posts, the oral interview would be stopped.
Oral interviews were conducted and recruitment done on that basis, violating guidelines given by the Prime Minister, Chodankar said, also alleging that money exchanged hands for the recruitment.
He demanded that the government institute an inquiry into all recruitments done this year.
“The Lokayukta should take suo moto cognisance of the issue and inquire into the matter or we will be forced to file a complaint or approach the court in this regard,” said Chodankar.
“Recruitment policy means money. Those who give more money are approved," he alleged.
He cited the example of recruitment done in the Public Works Department where he alleged that the papers of the recruitment test were never evaluated. Showing documents they received through RTI, Chodankar said, neither PWD nor Engineering College evaluated the recruitment test papers.
“Replying to the question under RTI as to who conducted the test for recruiting officers in the PWD, the PIO says that the Goa Engineering College does the work of all recruitment tests. While the engineering college says they have not evaluated the marks of the recruitment test,” he claimed.
Chodankar also alleged that the government is recruiting three times more candidates than the approved number of posts.
“In PWD, for around 451 approved posts, 940 people have been appointed. Around 26,000 youths had applied for the posts,” he said, adding that the Chief Secretary is also being overruled in this regard.
Same is the case of the recent recruitment done in the Health, Electricity and other departments, said Chodankar and appealed to the Governor Mrudula Sinha to intervene in the matter.
He also alleged that the government is playing with the 1.5 lakh unemployed youth of the State and added that if the Congress comes to power the recruitment process will be scrapped and action will be taken against all ministers and officers involved in the scam.
