PANAJI
Less than a month after a major controversy erupted over Poriem and Valpoi candidates hogging more than 85 per cent of the Lower Division Clerk (LDC) posts at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), candidates from the twin Sattari constituencies have cornered a whopping 90-plus per cent of 178 multi-tasking staff (MTS) posts filled by the Directorate of Health Services.
The order appointing these 178 MTS and deploying them at various health centres and the two district hospitals was issued by Health Director, Dr Ira Almeida, on January 4.
Dr Almeida said in the order that the 178 MTS are appointed on the recommendation of the ‘Department Selection Committee’ albeit on a “temporary” basis in the pay scale of Level-I of the pay matrix table.
Interestingly, although appointed on a “temporary basis” a later part of Dr Almeida’s order however adds that these 178 MTS shall be on “probation” for two years from their date of joining, subject to the verification of their character and antecedents.
Keeping these staff on “probation” is clearly a window for their regularisation later.
Dr Almeida adds in the order, however, that they shall be terminated in the event any adverse matter is noted by the Government on verification of character, antecedent and verification of documents, the order issued by Dr Almeida said.
Less than a month ago in early December, the Health Minister had come under fire from Opposition Aam Aadmi Party and also some legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, including the three Tiswadi MLAs -- Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Francis Silveira and Tony Fernades -- over the recruitment of 105 LDCs for the GMCH.
More than 85 of these 105 LDCs appointed at the GMCH hailed from the Poriem and Sattari constituencies represented by the Health Minister and his father Pratapshingh Rane.
The AAP leader Amit Palekar has said that the party has since approached the Bombay High Court for scrutiny of all recruitment in the health sector.
Unemployment is one of the major issues likely to have a bearing on the upcoming Assembly elections. The highly prized regular government job is a commonly used bait to sway electorates. It is also a crucial element in the electoral armour of established politicians in Goa.
In October last, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that the promised 10,000 government jobs will be delivered in time before the model code of conduct for the 2022 elections is imposed and recruitment processes in multiple departments have come under fire from the Opposition over transparency and impartiality.
