Lokayukta begins probe into job scams
GOANEWS & PTI, PANAJI | 28 May 2013 16:13 IST
Goa government has filed a case with Lokayukta for irregularities in job recruitments in the state allegedly involving former agriculture and health minister Vishwajit Rane.
A senior government official said that three cases, two related to job recruitments in agriculture and health departments, have been filed with Lokayukta.
"Rane has been named as an accused in the entire (job recruitment) scam as he was a minister of both the departments," the official said.
The cases were transferred from vigilance department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau to the ombudsman body, which is newly formed in the state.
Goa Lokayukta P Sudershan Reddy told PTI that three cases have been filed by the state government, but refused to divulge the details of it.
"We will investigate all the complaints. Even though they have come from the state government, we will investigate it at our level," Reddy said.
During the Assembly debate, chief minister Manohar Parrikar had equated the alleged scam to Omprakash Chautala and his son, when the issues had come up in the budget session that concluded on 2 May.
“It is a fit case to go to jail”, he had said.
Vishwajeet, on the other hand, had challenged to prove him guilty while stating that he is prepared to face any kind of inquiry.
In agriculture department, 41 out of 81 posts filled were from one Sattari taluka, then represented by Vishwajeet and his father and then speaker Pratapsing Rane.
Similarly, the Goa Medical College and the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour had filled 255 posts from Sattari taluka alone, out of total 556 posts.
In GMC alone, states the official information, 214 jobs have been given to the youth of Poriem and Valpoi Assembly constituencies, out of total 495 posts – around 43 per cent to one Sattari taluka.
In IPHB, the Sattari taluka represents 67 per cent, with 41 out of 61 jobs allotted to two constituencies – Poriem and Valpoi.
According to Parrikar, the agriculture recruitment was a clear cut violation of Supreme Court guidelines since all the selected candidates had been given same marks for Qualification – 60 or 70 to everybody.
