PANAJI
Faced with mounting criticism over allegations of a scam in the recruitment of junior engineers in the PWD, the State government on Friday kept on hold the recruitment process and set up a three-member inquiry committee to probe the matter.
"The recruitment process will be kept on hold till an inquiry committee consisting of Chief Finance Secretary Punit Kumar Goyal, Vigilance Secretary Ankita Anand and Director of Vigilance gives its report,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters.
BJP’s Panaji MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, who among the first legislators to raise a hue and cry over allegations of a scam in the recruitment process, said the CM had informed him that the PWD recruitments have been kept on hold.
"The chief minister has initiated an inquiry through the vigilance department. He said the recruitment has been kept on hold till the inquiry is completed,” said Monserrate.
Monserrate accused PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar of selling jobs in his department, alleging that candidates had paid between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh for the appointment of junior engineers of about 360 posts. He had alleged the scam was to the tune of Rs 70 crore.
Pauskar had vehemently refuted the allegations and had insisted that the recruitment process of junior engineers in the PWD had been followed with due procedures.
The Goa Forward Party has approached the high court demanding an inquiry in the alleged recruitment scam.
MGP leader and Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavlikar also demanded a CBI inquiry into the recruitment of JEs in the PWD. He hoped the inquiry is completed soon and the recruitment process is completed in a transparent manner.
Meanwhile, Monserrate has refused to comment on recruitments at the GMC, stating that no substantial proof has come to light over allegations on these recruitments.
