New Delhi: Margao social activist Sanjeev Raiturkar has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Goa Government defying his decision on the Independence Day address in 2015 to abolish the interviews for filling up the non-gazetted Class C and D posts.
He told a Press meet in Delhi he has drawn the PM’s attention to involvement of Goa CM Pramod Sawant, PWD minister Sudin Dhavlikar and former PWD minister Deepak Pawaskar in a scam in the PWD recruitment of over 1,000 candidates through interviews and rather filling up the posts in excess of those advertised.
He cited a circular issued by the Centre’s Department of Personnel on Jan 8, 2016, following Mr Modi’s address on Aug 15, 2015, to all States to fill the non-gazetted Class C and D posts without holding interviews and fresh ads be issued if the interviews were contemplated in any ads.
Mr Raiturkar claimed the United Goans Foundation, an NGO, had lodged a complaint in 2016 on the PWD continuing to recruit the non-gazetted employees in Goa PWD, such as lower division clerks, helper-draughtsmen, plumbers, electricians, workmen, watchmen, pump attendants and labour helpers.
The foundation’s complaint got no response to date.
According to him, PWD Minister Pauskar circulated a note stating there was no mala fide in the recruitment process as they were made after the Government approved it. The Chief Minister endorsed the note and on that basis then Vigilance Director Sanjeev Gauns Dessai on Oct 2020 wrote to the Chief Secretary to drop the matter.
He said there is no response to his complaint lodged with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant nor to his complaint lodged through advocate Nigel da Costa Frias to the Chief Secretary. Both complaints were filed on Nov 15, 2022. Earlier on Nov 14, he lodged a complaint with the PM in the scam and decided to expose it a month later as he did not get any response from the PM as well.
