Team Herald
MARGAO: In a bold appeal for transparency, a group of Margao citizens has petitioned Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, urging him to cancel the ongoing staff recruitment process by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC). They are calling for future recruitment to be conducted solely through the Goa Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to ensure fairness and accountability.
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This demand follows the recent MMC recruitment advertisement for various roles, including eleven Lower Division Clerks (LDC), a Site Supervisor, and an Assistant Mason. Addressing reporters here on Friday, local activist Prabhav Naik asserted the need for a transparent and merit-based hiring process.
During the press conference, Naik sealed an envelope in front of journalists, claiming it contained names of MMC councillors whose family members allegedly stand to benefit from the LDC positions. He stated he would reveal the names once the MMC releases its list of selected candidates.
“The current recruitment approach by the MMC lacks transparency, inviting favouritism and suspicions of political interference,” Naik said. Naik’s letter to the Chief Minister is based on a statement made by Sawant himself, where, after a Cabinet meeting on October 30, he had announced that all government recruitments would be handled by the Staff Selection Commission to ensure transparency and eliminate ‘job scams’.
Naik has now called on the CM to “walk the talk” and ensure the recruitment process in Margao is aligned with this policy.
Naik highlighted an alleged violation of the Goa Municipal Act, 1968, citing that the Site Supervisor position, according to the Act, should be filled via promotion. However, the MMC has advertised it for direct recruitment without requiring Konkani proficiency, a legal mandate.
Allegations of political influence in the recruitment process also concern Naik, as he noted rumours suggesting certain councillors are attempting to secure jobs for their children in return for political support. In response, he has called for a high-level committee to scrutinise the MMC’s recruitment process, covering all promotions and the regularisation of contract staff, to ensure adherence to fair practices.
