PANAJI: Following the observation in the report submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau as regards massive manipulations being visible in the recruitment process of candidates in various government departments, during the final phase of the erstwhile Digambar Kamat government, the government has decided to hand over the matter to the Crime Branch, and directed the officials to identify the real culprits responsible for the job rackets.

The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar told the media on Tuesday that he has already issued an order to scrap 28 posts of motor vehicle inspectors in the transport department due to illegality found in the recruitment process. “The government has also decided to issue show cause notices to the officers of this department, who are responsible for the same,” he added, stating that the ACB report does not name anyone guilty but only speaks about the authenticity or lack of authenticity of the recruitment process adopted.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister said that he had given mandate to the ACB to only identify the recruitment process adopted in various government departments, including health, transport, co-operation, sales tax and so on by the previous government. He also gave indication that around 320 posts in the health department could be scrapped for irregularities, at any moment.
“As the Crime Branch probes these job rackets to identify the brain behind the same, the government will investigate as to whether the jobs created by the previous government were really necessary for state administration or not, and if found in negative, they would be scrapped,” Mr Parrikar said, pointing out that if the jobs were found to be necessary, but recruitment process for them carried out in an irregular manner, then the process would start all over again. He also maintained that the age limit for recruitment in these posts has been given a two-year relaxation - from 40 years to 42 years - so that the involved candidates who have crossed the age have no room to complain.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister maintained that the department of health services has no records of the applications received from candidates for various jobs in the department. Answering another question, Mr Parrikar said that there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the people responsible for running job rackets in the government departments would go scot-free. “Action will definitely be taken on those found guilty,” he reassured.
Meanwhile, the state government has proposed a plan size of Rs 4,260 crore with the Planning Commission, which is 30 per cent higher than that of the previous year, that is, Rs 3,320 crore. Last year, the Commission had also announced central assistance of Rs 60 crore and Rs 200 crore for specific projects in Goa. The Chief Minister is scheduled to meet the chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia on July 11, along with his team comprising of the deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr Dattaprasad Kholkar, Chief Secretary, Mr Sanjay Kumar Srivastava and secretaries of the Goa government.