MARGAO
In a major development that could have possible political ramifications on the ruling BJP-controlled Margao Municipal Council, the government has told the municipality to cancel the recruitment process for 43 posts of LDCs, assistant mason and workers.
What’s significant to note is that the Director of Urban development, Gurudas Pilarnekar has written to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Gaurish Sankhwalkar to withdraw the advertisement inviting applications from eligible candidates to fill up the posts as cancelled based on a note put up by Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane.
The development assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that at least two ruling BJP-backed Councillors have been anxiously waiting for the government to honour the promise to recruit their siblings as Lower Divisional Clerks in the civic body. In fact, reports have been doing the rounds in the corridors of the Municipal building that the two councillors had expressed their total unhappiness over the delay in setting in motion the recruitment process, prompting the civic body to advertise the vacant posts earlier this month, around August 10.
The Urban Development Director Pilarnekar has told the MMC Chief Officer to withdraw the advertisement in the wake of the note issued by Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane, who has directed the Director that all recruitments in the councils is to be done either by the Director of Urban Development or through the Staff Selection Commission.
How the government will go about assuaging the sentiments of the two ruling councillors remains to be seen, more so when promises were reportedly handed out to the councillors in the run up to the election for the post of Margao civic chief in October last.
Sources in the know pointed out that Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA who was instrumental in facilitating the Lotus to bloom in the Margao Municipal Council after 17 long years, will have to use his political acumen and experience to keep the ruling flock together in view of the Urban Development Director’s directions to the Margao Municipal Council to cancel the recruitment process.
When The Goan called up the Margao Municipal Chief officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar to shed light on the DMA’s instructions to cancel the recruitment process, he said the civic body would convey to the online service provider to block the recruitment process. “I am in receipt of the DMA’s directions to withdraw the recruitment advertisement. Immediately, we will take a decision to block the online process. Then, we will issue a public notice informing prospective job seekers that the process is withdrawn as cancelled as per the DMA’s letter”, Sankhwalkar informed.
The Margao Municipal Council had on August 10 issued an advertisement inviting applications from prospective candidates to fill the 43 vacant posts, including LDCs (8), Assistant Mason (1) and 34 workers.
Interested and eligible candidate were told to fill and submit the prescribed application form through online mode only from August 17 to September 16.
