Congress seeks formation of SIT to probe cash-for-jobs scam in Goa; says BJP government selling jobs

Panaji: The opposition Congress in Goa on Thursday accused the BJP government in the state of selling jobs, and demanded formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged cash-for-government jobs scam.

Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar alleged that the people who have been arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities were linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in some way or the other.

At least 18 persons have been arrested in connection with various cases filed across the state in the cash-for-jobs scam. Several complaints have been filed, which allege that money was demanded by the accused to provide government jobs.

Patkar pointed out that in the recent past, the Congress had given a memorandum to Goa Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar demanding that an SIT be formed and a special bench of the Bombay High Court be formed to hear the cases related to the scam.

"After the scam came to light, the picture is now very clear that the BJP government has been selling jobs during its tenure of last 12 years," he said.

"If the government fails to form an SIT, the Congress will intensify its agitation and take it to every doorstep," the party leader warned.

Goa tops the list of states in terms of unemployment, he said, adding that traditional businesses have been killed under the BJP rule.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, who was also present at the press conference, asked how anybody could trust the police department in the state.

"The posts are sold for lakhs, while MLAs of the ruling party are busy giving clean chit to their own government," he said.

The administration of the state has failed, and every day a different scam comes to light under this government.

"CM Pramod Sawant has to come clean and answer as there are links pointing to all of them," he said.

On Wednesday, the Congress demanded a white paper on recruitments done after 2019 in Goa as well as a probe by a high-powered committee under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.

On Tuesday, the Ponda police in Goa arrested Shruti Prabhugaonkar, a woman worker of the saffron party, for allegedly duping people under the pretext of providing government jobs.

The cash for government jobs "scam" came to light in the state after six persons were arrested for allegedly taking bribes, following which CM Sawant asked people to come forward and file complaints in case they have been duped in this manner.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Congress leader Alok Sharma said, "Our allegation is that in all the recruitments done after 2019, there has been a process scam in which the correct procedure was not followed.

This scam of Goa is exactly like the Vyapam scam of Madhya Pradesh. All the people who have been arrested in this scam have pictures with BJP leaders."

The BJP is trying to cover up the matter while Vyapam-2 is going on in Goa, he claimed.