CONGRESS MLAs ACCUSE CONGRESS MINISTERS FOR FAVOURITISM IN JOB APPLICANT SELECTIONS

PANJIM: The alleged discrimination in filling of various vacancies in the government departments was hotly debated in the Congress legislature party meeting held late on Thursday at the residence of the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat.

Sources within the CLP said that Congress MLAs accused the Congress ministers in the cabinet of not giving employment to the candidates recommended by them and filling the vacancies in the departments held by them by selecting candidates from their constituencies.

The Congress MLAs charged the ministers of not implementing an understanding arrived at earlier on the issue of equal distribution of jobs among the ruling party MLAs. They also warned that in case the understanding was not implemented in future there could be serious consequences.

The Congress MLAs also charged the ministers of selecting some of the candidates from their constituencies other than those recommended by them, which not only lowered their “esteem” among their voters but also smacked of “corrupt practices”, informed the sources in the cabinet.

The issue of pending developmental works because of absence of financial approval was also discussed at the meeting and the Congress MLAs, who requested the Chief Minister to ensure that the projects get financial approval as the assembly elections were nearing and could affect their chances of getting re-elected, said the sources.

The Congress MLAs discussed the strategies to counter the opposition in the assembly session beginning on January 31. The whip was issued to the Congress MLAs by the chief whip of the party, Mr Agnelo Fernandes.

The issue of removal of the grounded ship River Princess and the delay in signing the contract was raised by Mr Fernandes who sought the Chief Minister’s intervention in sorting the issue so that at least a substantial part of the ship could be removed before the onset of the monsoon.