MAPUSA
With the absence of the opposition in the Goa Legislative Assembly, the ruling MLAs on Tuesday cornered the government over shortage of staff in the electricity department.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat slammed the power minister for failing to recruit crucial technical staff thereby causing immense hardship to the people of the State while Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira also questioned the minister for failing to absorb the ST youth who were taken on contract in 2011.
In the firing line, Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar assured the House to resolve the issue of shortage of staff within two months and before the Chaturthi.
The Power Minister in a written reply to a starred question of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat informed that the electricity department had a shortage of 1,200 staff.
The department was short of 700 line-men and 90 Junior Engineers while also running short of meter readers, meter testers, draughtsman and other technical staff in various categories.
Catching the power minister on the wrong foot, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said in spite of having so much experience, the minister has miserably failed to fill the posts in the department.
“When there is a shortage of so many technical staff, the department is bound to suffer. People are queuing up to our doors over poor service. Why should people of Goa suffer? What stops the government to fill these key vacant posts?” Kamat questioned.
Responding to the charge, Dhavlikar informed that many of the posts have lapsed while in other cases on account of promotion the lower rung posts fell vacant.
“We cannot also take staff on ad hoc basis due to the Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) service rules,” he said.
He also disclosed that the department can no longer take drivers due to change in the policy of the State government to hire vehicles on rent.
Kamat said the minister was taking refuge in excuses and demanded that the staff be taken on work charge.
The Power Minister said the posts of Junior Engineers will be filled by March through the Staff Selection Commission but assured to resolve the shortage of linesmen within two months.
“We will work out a solution by taking the CM into confidence. All procedures will be completed and we will recruit linesmen before the Chaturthi,” Dhavlikar assured the House.
Questioning the minister’s lackadaisical attitude towards staff recruitment, Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira said around 1,000 posts were created in the power department in 2011.
“At that time, it was assured to absorb all line helpers who were taken on contract. Most of these boys were from the ST community. They have crossed the mandatory age of 45. How will you accommodate them?” Sequeira asked.
He said the minister does not require two months in fact he can take staff even tomorrow.
Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye and Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar also participated in the discussion.
