the goan I network
PANAJI
Crises looms large at the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) with two staff members’ terms having ended in March and two more set to end at the end of March and April.
The Commission on Wednesday sent a written communication to the Secretary of Home Parimal Rai (IAS) apprising him of the acute shortage of staff the Commission is facing, and asking for new staff to be deputed. In a letter to the Home Secretary, M Fernandes, the Secretary of the Commission, wrote that the shortage of staff has “badly hampered the functioning of the Commission”.
The letter also states that in view of these circumstances, “the Commission is likely to come to a grinding halt in the event that staff members who have been relieved, and who are likely to be relieved, are not replaced forthwith.”
The senior assistant at the Commission, Shivdas Govekar, whose deputation period expired at the end of February was relieved of his duties from March 1. The legal assistant Vivek Naik whose deputation period ended on March 11 was relieved from his duties on March 12.
The senior stenographer Virginia Candida Rodrigues’ deputation period is set to expire on March 31, and the junior assistant Dionisio Pires’ deputation period is set to expire on April 20.
Fernandes has thus requested the Home Secretary to either “replace the staff members immediately, or send them on deputation afresh by relaxing the cooling period, as per the rules.” The Home Secretary has also been requested to treat the situation on priority basis to avoid further inconvenience to the Commission.
Meanwhile, the lone member of the Commission retired judge AD Salkar will be retiring in July this year. Salkar has been functioning as the lone member ever since the other member of the Commission expired last September. No member was appointed by the government as a replacement since then.
Moreover, the seat of the chairperson of the Commission which was vacated in 2016 has not yet been filled. Salkar has been heading the Commission in the absence of an officially appointed
chairperson.
BIG CRUNCH
The Commission on Wednesday sent a written communication to the Secretary of Home Parimal Rai (IAS) apprising him of the acute shortage of staff the Commission is facing, and asking for new staff to be deputed
In a letter to the Home Secretary, M Fernandes, the Secretary of the Commission, wrote that the shortage of staff has “badly hampered the functioning of the Commission”
The letter also states that in view of these circumstances, “the Commission is likely to come to a grinding halt in the event that staff members who have been relieved, and who are likely to be relieved, are not replaced forthwith”
Fernandes has thus requested the Home Secretary to either “replace the staff members immediately, or send them on deputation afresh by relaxing the cooling period, as per the rules”
The Home Secretary has also been requested to treat the situation on priority basis to avoid further inconvenience to the Commission
