The 60 years of Liberation celebrations take place under the shadow of the jobs for cash scam that has been alleged by the opposition and even by MLAs of the ruling party. Painted into a corner, the government has constituted a three-member committee headed by the Principal Secretary to probe the allegations made on the recruitments in the State. Till such time that the committee submits its report, recruitment in the Public Works Department will be kept on hold. Bharatiya Janata Party’s Panjim MLA had alleged a Rs 70 crore scam in this department. While the inquiry is restricted to one department, there have been allegations made about recruitment in other government departments, but these have been overlooked for the current time. The government will definitely not be keen on opening up inquiries into too many departments. It had promised 10,000 jobs by the end of this month and pausing the process would derail the recruitment plans that it had made. Besides, there is an election coming up in a few weeks and any corruption charges would go against it.
But, will the committee submit its report before Goa goes to the polls? Announcing the constitution of the committee, the Chief Minister did not state the timeframe that has been provided for it to complete the probe. The period becomes important as the committee’s report could either give the department a clean chit on the recruitment or find evidence of malpractice. Either way, the report would help either the government to claim that the allegations were false or provide the opposition with the opportunity to claim that what they said had been substantiated. If the report arrives as the former the government would benefit, in the case of the latter the opposition would. The timing is therefore politically crucial for either side.
Corruption has, however, remained an issue that is always discussed in the State with the public perception very clear that it exists in various forms and across departments. That is one belief that will be hard to change, as the common man does have instances to recount of corruption. Simultaneously, corruption has always been an election issue in the State, taking prominence whenever the polls are near. In the 2012 election campaign the Bharatiya Janata Party had made providing a corruption-free government one of its main planks. It won that election ousting the Congress that was reduced to single digits. Whether this had to do entirely with corruption is difficult to gauge, but the appointment of a Lokayukta followed soon after. However, a significant number of the reports of the ombudsman on cases that had been referred to him have been ignored by the government. One such was the second renewals to mining leases, where the Lokayukta indicted a former chief minister and two bureaucrats. No action was taken.
Corruption as an issue will be played up in the ensuing election campaign for the 2022 polls. What is needed is for the party or alliance that forms the government to eliminate it totally. Mere words spoken in debates or fiery speeches made during the run-up to polls will not change anything. This Liberation Day could well be the best occasion and platform from which all political parties, politicians, aspiring politicians and anybody holding public office to take an oath to eliminate corruption. Goa needs liberation from corruption. Every Goan will agree with this statement. As long as there are corruption charges made or allegations levelled, you can be sure that the menace remains. Getting rid of corruption will not be easy, but unless a beginning is made, it will not end.
