PANJIM, DEC 17
Around 14 employees of Goa Construction, Housing & Finance Corporation Ltd, here, who were retrenched between 2002 and 2004 with a promise of employment as and when vacancies would arise in the Government in future, are still awaiting their turn to get into regular jobs. But years down the line the promise in the Official Gazette of January 23, 2003, has remained on paper.
The Goa Construction, Housing & Finance Corporation Ltd had been established under the Company’s Act, 1956 on September 30, 1993, by the State Government with the main objective of undertaking housing, improvement, building scheme and other allied activities.
However, since 1995-96 the Corporation started incurring losses, failed to utilise its assets and fulfil objectives for which it was created. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India had also recommended its closure.
The Government therefore had taken a decision to wind up the Corporation and transfer the housing schemes undertaken by it to the Goa Housing Board, along with the assets and liabilities.
Further, it was decided to retrench the existing staff by paying them retrenchment benefits. The retrenched staff was promised of appointments against further vacancies in the Government on certain conditions.
These employees had put in eight years of continuous service before being retrenched and were hoping like the PETS (pre-employment training scheme) candidates they too would be absorbed in regular service.
This corporation was formed with much pomp during the tenure of Wilfred de Souza who was then the Chief Minister and Suresh Parulekar the housing minister.
The employees reminded that when Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar was the CM he had assured on the floor of the Assembly in July 2004 that the retrenched staff would be absorbed in the Government. They said Parrikar had assured them again and again that he would absorb them.
They further recalled, “After Parrikar when Pratapsing Rane became the CM we went to him. He also assured but nothing happened.”
In September 2007, the employees also met the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat with a representation to consider their case. In spite of assurances of three CMs till date no one has been absorbed in any department.
