Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira on Tuesday questioned the State government over the issue of paid holiday to those eligible to vote in the Karnataka assembly elections and sought to know how those who were voting in Karnataka were given government jobs in Goa.
Ferreira pointed out to the government notification which granted the holiday to, among other classes of workers, daily wage workers of government departments and state government industrial departments.
“Daily wage workers of government departments and others have been granted a holiday. This means those who have government jobs and industrial departments like IDC etc, for them there is a holiday. What do we understand from this? That this government has given government jobs to outsiders. If their voting is in another state, how did they get jobs here?” Ferreira asked.
The Aldona MLA along with Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar was addressing a news conference in Corjuem late Tuesday evening.
Continuing, Ferreira said for anyone to get a government job, even contractural, you have to be registered with the employment exchange and get a job card.
“When our Goans ask for a job, then you have to give an employment card. If your employment card is not valid then you don’t get a job. How did these people get jobs? This means that these people have got jobs through the backdoor. Does this mean you have sold jobs? This is an important question,” Ferreira said, adding that the Congress party will be taking up the issue and filing cases against the errant officials who have served to allow these jobs to those who do not have permanent residence here.
He said there were many industrial workers from UP and Bihar in Goa and sometimes they went back to vote.
“But Goa has never given a holiday for them to go and vote. So the government has to give a valid explanation for why they have this time given a holiday,” he argued.
He said the Congress will take this matter up and will file a case against whichever officers who did the job of giving the jobs.
The government on Monday issued a notification saying that since there are assembly elections in Karnataka a paid holiday is being notified.
Ferreira said that under section 135B of the Representation of People’s Act, no notification is necessary, but since this election is being held in another state, a notification was issued under the Negotiable Instruments Act also.
