TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: While the Election Commission of India (EC) has declared null and void, about 428 appointments in the government departments, the Commercial Taxes Department has been left untouched.
It has come to the fore that the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes reportedly dished out ‘temporary appointment’ letters to 37 candidates for the posts of Commercial Tax Inspectors (CTI) by backdating appointment letter, to December 23, 2011, a day before the election code of conduct came into force.
It is also reportedly learnt that the department had advertised for 27 vacancies, but more candidates were selected to the post.
There have been strong allegations that offer letters were personally dispatched by the department officials to the selected candidates at their respective homes on December 26, 2011.
Herald is in exclusive possession of an appointment letter which confirms offering a candidate temporary post of CTI at the Inter State Check Posts.
The two page offer letter has also listed out terms of appointment, one of which states that the appointment is temporary and it may be terminated at any time without assigning any reason.
“The appointment is temporary and will not confer any title to permanent employment. The appointment may be terminated at any time by, a month’s notice given by either side…the appointee or the appointing authority, without assigning any reason,” the letter signed by Commissioner of Commercial Taxes S G Korgaonkar, reads.
The department, with this action, has come under election commission scanner for violating the code of conduct, as the letter asks the selected candidate (name withheld by this daily) to give his acceptance of the offer by January 20, 2012.
Some 428 appointments in the six departments – Goa police, animal husbandry, PWD, government polytechnic, electricity and co-operation – were declared null and void Wednesday as letters were issued post-December 24, when the code of conduct was enforced.
EC had announced that action would be taken against the heads of departments who signed the appointment letters in “clear violation” of the code of conduct. No EC officials were available for comments till late night.
