PANAJI
The State government came under severe criticism from the Opposition parties over the controversial Vigilance Department circular to its employees preventing them from protesting, asking the government to immediately withdraw it.
While the Aam Aadmi Party said it was an attempt on the part of the government to cover up its failures by undermining the dignity of its employees by issuing threats, the Congress and the Goa Forward also lashed out.
COVER-UP ATTEMPT BY GOVT: AAP
AAP convenor Elvis Gomes accused the government of attempting to cover up its failures by undermining the dignity of its own employees by issuing threats.
“The circular is just short of calling them, traitors. In fact if one looks at the composition of the government, traitors are on full display who have betrayed and cheated the electorate”, said Gomes calling upon employees not to feel threatened by such dictatorial attitude.
Gomes said that the administrative collapse was staring at the government in its face due to poor management of Covid and the resultant bankruptcy looming large.
“This act by the Sawant Sarkar is effectively a gag order that adds insult to injury to govt employees many of whom are frontline Corona Warriors who are just worried about their economic and physical safety,” Gomes said.
WITHDRAW CIRCULAR IMMEDIATELY: GFP
Goa Forward Party Vice President Durgadas Kamat has demanded the immediate repeal of this circular. "Did the CM not agitate earlier when he was in the Opposition along with government officers? Govt employees are not BJP-bonded workers to issue orders to them," he said urging the government servants to continue to raise their voice fearlessly against anti-people activities.
Kamat also said that when the head of the department is acting under the direct control of politicians then the lower bureaucracy has no other option than to directly oppose the wrongdoings of government.
EMPLOYEES HAVE RIGHT TO PROTEST: CONG
Saying that every citizen including the government employees has democratic right to protest against the injustice and raise issues concerning them, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat has demanded that the government must immediately withdraw the order.
He said the government must take steps to ensure that maximum support is given to the hard-working employees in these testing times so that they are not compelled to protest. The BJP government has completely failed in managing the pandemic as well as the State Economy, he added.
Recalling that the government failed to pay the salary to the staff before the Chaturthi festival, Kamat stated that most of the employees had not received their August salary at the month-end. “It is only after the Congress raised the issue; the government issued a clarification on delay in salaries and eventually were compelled to pay the staff. The government has also put additional burden on the government employees by withdrawing the House Building Allowance (HBA) scheme”, he added.
The Opposition Leader said that the government has reached this situation due to its adamant attitude of outrightly rejecting the constructive suggestions from the Opposition on the revival of the economy.
“The government has miserably failed in providing proper health care to Covid patients. There are reports of patients forced to sleep on the floor. I am shocked to read reports of the doctors, nurses and other medical staff working in Covid hospitals and at GMC are not provided with proper masks and personal protection equipment. There are strong chances of the entire medical fraternity protesting against the Government for its failure to provide them with safety gadgets,” he said.
