Officials warn government staff over census work

MARGAO, MARCH 24
The authorities in Salcete have threatened to invoke provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code if government employees fail to report for training for the population census work beginning from April 1, as the authorities are trying to tide over the shortage of manpower by roping in teachers of aided schools.
Salcete Mamlatdar, Paresh Faldessai on Wednesday dispatched a warning to the staff of Margao sales tax office after the 10-14 employees failed to report for training today on grounds that they have not received any directions from the head office.
Given the situation, the Mamlatdar replied today and reminded the employees of the provisions of the Cr P C for their failure to report for training or the census work.
Meanwhile, with the manpower requirement in Salcete – both urban and rural areas – put a whooping 850 personnel, the deputy Collector, Margao Johnson Fernandes has requisitioned the services of the teachers of aided schools for the census work.
The decision has not gone well with the teaching community, who came in a delegation to the deputy Collector on Wednesday evening, contending that the census would clash with the examination work of the teachers.
It is learnt that the deputy collector has requisitioned the services of around 60 teachers of aided schools as the authorities found themselves in a tight spot to make available the required manpower.
Sources in the know say that most of the government and semi-government employees from the taluka have been roped in for the census work. Departments such as the Margao Municipal Council, land acquisition office etc may not have any staff to attend to public complaints during the month and half long census work as most of the staff have been roped in for the work.
“We are helpless. The census work has to go on. We have roped in the manpower from almost all departments”, he said.
Johnson said the authorities indeed had a difficult time to arrange the necessary manpower as the census work has clashed with the electoral revision work. “We have already roped in people for the BLO work”, he added.