Govt in spot over selection of commission member
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 26
Faced with a number of petitions and phone calls from consumer rights activists and civic groups over the appointment of a 65-year-old member to the State Consumer Redressal Commission, the Government is rethinking of calling back the approval given to the recommendation of the Selection Committee of the Commission selecting the senior citizen for the post.
Insiders at the Secretariat said Civil Supplies Minister Jose Philip D’Souza and Chief Minister Digambar Kamat were seized of the matter and had taken serious note of the same. Calling back of the approval file was under serious consideration of the Chief Minister, they revealed.
When contacted, Director of Tourism Swapnil Naik who is given charge as Director of Civil Supplies said he has taken charge of the Department of Civil Supplies just six days back and neither was he aware of selection of any candidate for the post of member of the Commission nor had he received any file.
Legal fraternity members, consumer rights activists and civic groups have objected to the selection of the 65-year-old candidate, who is a retired Government servant from the Goa Civil Service, on various grounds. The Chief Minister’ office and the Director of Civil Supplies too had received several petitions from several people and groups.
Meanwhile, sources said the High Court of Bombay at Goa had also been petitioned by consumer rights activists, individuals and civic groups on Monday demanding an inquiry into the incident.
It is learnt that three of the candidates who had appeared for the interview are gearing up to challenge the recommendation of the Selection Committee.
