PANAJI:
Even as the contours of the ongoing investigation into the alleged job-for-cash scam keep widening and threaten to engulf the whole State, a delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) knocked the doors of the Governor, PS Sreedharan Pillai, and sought his intervention in getting the government to set up a Judicial Commission to probe the matter which it said smacks of "widespread corruption" in the State.
The team met Pillai at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday morning and urged him to use his Constitutional powers to ensure a thorough probe alleging that scandal involves BJP officials and insiders.
The team was led by AAP's State president, Amit Palekar and comprised its two MLAs -- Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva -- and top leaders Valmiki Naik, Gerson Gomes, Roque Mascarenhas and Francis Coelho.
In their discussions with Pillai, the AAP leaders emphasised the critical need for a Judicial Commission to ensure an independent investigation, besides as giving whistleblowers protection and encourage more 'victims' to come forward with their complaints.
Palekar urged the Governor to use his office to summon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and ensure a judicial probe, a statement released by the party later said.
Palekar also alleged that Sawant was at the Centre of the scandal and if investigated properly, the scandal is likely to implicate BJP ministers, MLAs and officials.
"Goa’s government jobs are being sold and futures of youth destroyed,” Palekar alleged and demanded an immediate halt to all recruitment processes until a transparent hiring system via the Staff Selection Commission is adopted.
Silva underscored the need for an independent investigation and said that the BJP leadership cannot brush off the allegations with more and more cases and evidence mounting by the day.
"It is now clear that government jobs are on sale," Silva said, adding that pending the final outcome of the investigation all appointments under suspicion of being secured through unethical means be suspended.
Viegas urged all Opposition parties to close ranks to launch an agitation against the BJP government on corruption in recruitment.
“The BJP government has become focused solely on cash, whether it’s cash for jobs, cash for land conversion, or cash for transfers. I appeal to all opposition parties to join forces to bring the government to account and protect the future of Goa's youth”, Viegas said.
Viegas also demanded that protection under the law be granted to the complainants and whistleblowers so that the investigation becomes independent and the real kingpins and queen pins of the scam are brought to book.
