Goa's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Deepak Pauskar has said that the allegations that he was ‘selling’ jobs in his department were baseless. He further said that he had no role to play in the selection of candidates for jobs of junior engineers and technical assistant engineers in the PWD.
“The allegations are baseless. He had recommended some candidates (for jobs) to me and asked for them to included in the list (of selected candiates). I cannot make any recommendations. The results of the examination held for junior engieers and technical assistant enginners were announced by the Goa Engineering College and we had declared them. We have no role in that. We cannot recommend any candiates. Allegations can be made by anyone . Tell them to show proof. The 368 jobs were given as per results of the polytechnic; those published in the gazette are all done as per the rules. As the minister I have not interfered at any stage,” Pauskar said.
The allegations are baseless...Tell them to show proofPWD Minister Deepak Pauskar
The accusation came from within BJP when MLA Atanasio Monserrate came out to the press accusing Pauskar of "selling engineer posts" in an alleged Rs 70 crore scam.
“I am making a direct allegation that the minister of PWD… has taken money from people to get their names selected. I have proof to show people have paid Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh to the minister and the minister has sold the jobs to the highest bidder….I have people who will tell that minister has taken money,” Monserrate had said on Saturday.
Reacting to a fellow BJP MLA's accusation, Pauskar said, “I don’t know what’s in his mind. In our government, no ministers or MLAs have come to me with job recommendations for any candidates. He had come to me. But there is nothing I could have done.”
When the accusation went public, the opposition parties also made their opinion on the matter clear. Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai took to Twitter to say, "When a ruling party MLA reveals the going rate for jobs in Goa, accused party minister of massive corruption, it only ratifies what we’ve been saying all along. The BJP government is a Menu Card government and they’ve looted Goans of their money and Goa of her dignity.”
With the Goa Assembly Elections 2022 just two months away, the alleged job scam controversy which disseminated from within the BJP party is sure to impact the voter's decision. Monserrate and Pauskar are both defectors who joined the ruling party BJP in 2019 from Congress and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) respectively.