Team Herald
PANJIM: Days after a minister stated that 30 percent of the government servants have a second job, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said 20 percent of the government servants are not working optimally, and also warned of strict action against some government employees who have been demanding bribes in his name to give jobs in government departments.
Sawant has asked job seekers not to fall prey to false promises made by corrupt government employees. “Let me clarify it once and for all. No one needs to pay anyone for government jobs. We are not demanding any bribe. I have come to know that some people were asking bribes from youth in my name to select them for government jobs. We will take stringent action against the perpetrators once they are caught in the act,” he warned, as he spoke to the media on the sidelines of a party event on Thursday.
Sawant said that bribes were also asked in the name of some MLAs to provide government employment. “I have already received 2-3 specific complaints wherein government servants allegedly asked for bribes to give jobs. I will inquire into those complaints and also strict action would be taken against them,” he said.
The State government has advertised several vacancies in different government departments after the code of conduct was lifted, while the recruitment processes in departments, which had been stalled due to the election code, have resumed.
Sawant appealed to the people to file a police complaint or inform his office, if any government servant is asking for a bribe to do their work. He said that 20 percent of the government servants are not working properly and they would be taken to task.
His statement comes a week after Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte had said that 30 per cent of the government staff have side businesses and that this is affecting their work.
