Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has sought a detailed report from Goa University over the ongoing controversy surrounding its decision to drop the criteria of 15 years domicile for filling nearly 60-odd posts at different levels.
The directions came after Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai moved a note to the chief minister seeking his intervention in the matter. Sardesai accused Goa University of manipulating the reservation roster to deny deserving Goan Other Backward Class (OBC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, the required posts.
While seeking a report from the university, Sawant categorically maintained that the domicile certificate should be made compulsory for lower category posts. In case of higher posts, the condition can be relaxed if candidates are not available within the State.
“With regards to filling up of lower posts, we will ensure that domicile certificate is made compulsory. When it comes to higher posts, if the candidate is not available in Goa, then they can relax the clause,” Sawant said.
Sardesai in his letter to the CM had claimed that Goa University was trying to give jobs to non-Goans. “It is also learnt that the reservation roster has been manipulated to deny deserving Goans OBC or ST candidates these posts, this needs to be investigated thoroughly, it is alleged that the manipulation have been cleverly done so that posts, for which Goan candidates are eligible, are advertised in the general category,” Sardesai had said.
“This is another ploy to deny Goans their rights by not implementing the domicile requirement. The university authorities do not have any right to bypass the university statute by themselves without any relaxation granted by the government,” he had added.
The Deputy Chief Minister had also said that it appears to be a deliberate ploy by Goa University to confuse and give scope for ambiguity on the issue of Domicile for filling these posts.
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Education Minister left in dark by University: GFP
Goa Forward Party (GFP), which raised the issue of GU withdrawing the domicile condition for posts, on Friday claimed that the Education Minister was kept in the dark by the University. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant holds the Education portfolio.
GFP vice president Dilip Prabhudesai said GU has manipulated the process to allow its own selected candidates for the posts, while doing injustice to deserving Goan candidates. “The entire move is basically to accommodate non-Goan candidates, who were already shortlisted by the University even before the advertisement for the posts was released,” he said.
“Goa University functions as per its statutes. Any relaxation to that has to be done by the government. But here, the Education Minister was kept in the dark,” Prabhudesai said.
He said that the Chief Minister has assured deputy CM and party president Vijai Sardesai that the process would be withdrawn. “CM has assured to withdraw the advertisement and restart the recruitment process,” he said.
