PANAJI
Candidates who were given offer letters during the recent recruitment process in the PWD on Tuesday demonstrated outside Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s residence in Panaji.
They demanded that Sawant revoke the stay on the recruitment process, as it would be an injustice to them and that they should not be made political scapegoats.
Responding to allegation by ruling MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate of a Rs 70 crore recruitment scam, Sawant on December 17 had ordered an inquiry into the alleged PWD recruitment scam and decided that the recruitment process of over 350 posts would be kept on hold till completion of the probe.
The government was under considerable pressure as Ports Minister Michael Lobo, Congress, MGP, TMC and AAP had also demanded a probe in the matter.
A three-member committee comprising Principal Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Special Secretary (Vigilance) Ankita Anand and Director of Vigilance has been set up to probe the matter.
The protesting candidates claimed that they had been selected on merit after qualifying with the education standards and said keeping the recruitment process on hold would be an injustice to candidates who have been selected on merit.
"I have done a masters in engineering and was high on the list during the recruitment process,” said a candidate who was selected for the post.
Added another candidate: "They are questioning our qualifications. We are qualified. Don’t ruin our future on account of a political agenda.”
