State still part of Maha postal circle; MPs claim to have taken up issue with Centre, but insist Goa should adopt resolution
MARGAO
Exactly two decades ago, a group of staunch Konkniwaddis under the banner of Goa Hit-Rakhan Manch had hit the streets with a protest to end the injustice meted out to Goan youth for jobs in the Postal department.
GHM leaders led by Purnanand Chari, Prashant Naik and others demand was simple – either detach Goa from the Maharashtra Postal Circle or ensure that Goan youth get employment in the Postal department by making Konkani essential.
Almost 20 years down the line, the ground reality has not changed for the better. Neither Goa has been detached from the Maharashtra Postal Circle nor has the local youth benefitted from the employment opportunities in the department for no fault of theirs.
A casual visit to a nearest post office would reveal the ground reality. Chances are that the staff manning the post office may not understand Konkani, leaving people with no option than to either switch over to English or Hindi in a State where Konkani is the State’s official language, throwing up a host of questions whether the Members of Parliament representing Goa in Delhi could not forcefully take up the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Questions are also raised whether the Goa government could not get a separate postal circle for Goa from the Central government to secure jobs for the local Goan unemployed youth.
Congress MP Francisco Sardinha and his predecessor from the BJP Narendra Sawaikar said they did take up the issue in Parliament during their stints as MPs, but somehow the issue has remained unresolved. “It is a fact that we have been demanding a separate postal circle for Goa to protect the interests of our unemployed youth,” ex-MP Narendra Sawaikar told The Goan. He, however, hastened to add that Goa should have a separate postal circle to ensure that jobs in the Postal department go for the local unemployed.
MP Francisco Sardinha pointed out that he had raised the issue of a separate postal circle both within the Lok Sabha and outside during his stint as Member of Parliament. “I have always maintained the MPs are the Ambassadors of the people in Delhi. But, sometimes the voice of the MPs, especially of the opposition, is a voice in the wilderness. It is for this very reason why I was insisting that Goa government adopts a resolution demanding a separate postal circle for Goa so that the MPs can further pursue the matter in Parliament,” Sardinha added.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had around five years ago had batted for a separate postal circle for Goa, but in vain.
Former student leader and member of Goa Hit-Rakhan Manch Prashant Naik pointed out that the organisation had hit the streets in 2004 to protect the interests of Goans vis-à-vis jobs in the Central government organisations, including Posts, banks, etc.
“The GHM had protested over the denial of jobs in the Posts, banks and Central government organisations for the Goan unemployed youth. It is indeed sad that successive governments could not protect the interests of Goan unemployed youth,” Naik said.
Consumer rights activist, GOACAN coordinator, Roland Martins wondered how come Goa is still part of the Maharashtra circle when it is a full-fledged State. Martins further highlighted a trend amongst the postal officials from neighbouring Maharashtra that they take up the postings in Goa before they seek transfers in their native State, leaving consumers in the lurch. “We as a consumer rights organisation have been demanding filling up of the vacancies in the Postal department. But, we also would like to make it clear that preference ought to be given to the local unemployed youth. A separate Goa postal circle would have protected the interest of Goan youth,” Martins added.
He added: “Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had on October 10, 2019 promised to ask the Centre to delink Goa postal region from the Maharashtra circle for the benefit of the local unemployed youth. We do not know whether the Goa government had knocked the doors of the Centre with a proposal for a separate postal circle for Goa or the status of the proposal.”
