Process to take off from stage of re-examination
PANAJI
The controversial recruitment process of the Public Works Department (PWD) junior engineers before the 2022 assembly elections which was later scrapped after it was challenged before the Bombay High Court, has now been revived.
The office of the PWD Principal Chief Engineer has issued a notice which says that the PWD has “re-initiated” the process of recruitment for filling up the vacant posts of 368 junior engineers and technical assistants.
The re-initiation of the recruitment process, according to the notice, will take off from the stage of re-examination.
The original recruitment process to fill these 368 posts of junior engineers and technical assistants was initiated in the runup to the last assembly elections during the tenure of the then PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar. The latter was accused of corruption and interference in the process and the issue blew up into a major controversy.
Some candidates challenged the process before the Bombay High Court and midway through the High Court’s adjudication, the State government informed it is keeping the process on hold and also ordered a vigilance enquiry.
The Vigilance probe reportedly indicted Pauskar, who was also denied a renomination by the ruling BJP in the February 2022 elections. After coming back to power following the elections, the State government said it had scrapped the entire process.
Now, as per the schedule released in the notice on Wednesday and published as an advertisement in sections of the media, the re-examination for technical assistants (civil) will be held at four centres in Panaji and Porvorim on June 11 – Don Bosco College/High School in Panaji, V M Salgaonkar College of Law at Miramar, L D Samant High School at Porvorim and Vidhyaprabhodini Higher Secondary School, Porvorim.
For technical assistants (mechanical/electrical), the re-exam will also be held on June 11 at the following four centres at the Cujira-Bambolim school complex – Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School, Dr K B Hedgewar Higher Secondary School, Mushtifund High School and St Rosary High School.
Again on June 11, the re-exam for technical assistants (Computer/Electronics/IT) will be held at four centres in Taleigao and Caranzalem-Dona Paula – St Michael Higher Secondary School, Auxilium High School at Caranzalem, Our Lady of Rosary High School and Our Lady of Rosary Higher Secondary School, Dona Paula.
The list of applicants eligible for the re-examination will be the same who had applied and were eligible to answer the exam following the process advertised in August-September 2021.
The notice which was issued by PWD’s deputy director (admin) said the date, time and venue along with the seat nos/ roll nos, for the re-exam will be uploaded on the government and PWD website.
Communications with the candidates will only be by SMS or email on the number and email ID provided at the time of the 2021 recruitment process, it said.
The hall ticket and admit card will also be issued only via email, it said, adding that in case it is not sent or received candidates may inquire on the helpdesk number: 8530499686.
