PANAJI
Alleging that the innocent technical staff belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) are being made scapegoats of the alleged incident of semi-nude video shooting at Chapoli Dam, the tribal body Gakuved Federation on Saturday condemned the suspension of six WRD staff attached to dam services.
The federation has demanded immediate withdrawal of the suspension order of WRD staff. These six staff are placed under suspension in the alleged shooting of a porn video by Poonam Pandey on the premises of Chapoli Dam.
“This federation is shocked and deeply pained to hear the suspension of 6 ST community members who are the staff of WRD department and who are attached to the Chapoli Dam service area,” said General Secretary Rupesh Velip in the press release issued here.
Gakuved has given two days ultimatum to the government to reinstate these staffers otherwise threatened to launch an agitation. “The above-mentioned staff had no connection with the alleged video shoot as all of them are technical staff,” said Velip.
Pump attendants Rajesh Kamlakar Velip, Sunil T Velip, Suresh Putu Velip, Pandhari Fondu Velip, Anand Narayan Velip and supervisor Venkatesh Shanu Velip has been placed under suspension.
The federation has said that neither a preliminary inquiry was held before issuing the suspension order nor any memorandum was issued to the suspended staff. “The alleged incident of video shooting took place somewhere between 6.30 am to 8.30 am on October 31. Whereas the above-mentioned staff were supposed to join their duty at 9.30 am on 31.10.2020,” said Velip.
Meanwhile, another 7 security guards of Goa Human Resource Development Corporation attached to Chapoli Dam are asked to report to the Canacona Police Station every day. Gakuved has alleged that these 7 security guards are also belong to the ST community and are being unnecessarily harassed.
“We believe that the above-mentioned staff are made scapegoats of the alleged incident of Video shooting as they are poor and belonging to ST community, whereas real culprits are allowed to go scot-free. And therefore we condemn the injustice made to the ST community members; and also strongly protest the suspension of WRD staff and harassment of security guards who belong to the ST community”, said Rupesh Velip in the press release.
