Congress demands inquiry into how Karnataka voters got govt jobs in Goa
ALDONA: Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira on Tuesday questioned the Goa government over the issue of paid holiday to those eligible to vote in the Karnataka assembly elections — questioning how those who were voting in Karnataka were given government jobs in Goa.
Addressing a press conference, Adv Ferreira pointed out to the government notification which granted the holiday to, among other classes of workers, daily wage workers of government departments and state government industrial departments.
Our question is a bigger one. Daily wage workers of government departments and others have been granted a holiday. This means those who have government jobs and industrial departments like IDC etc, for them there is a holiday. What do we understand from this? That this government has given government jobs to outsiders. If their voting is in another state, how did they get jobs here?” Adv Carlos said.
“For anyone to get a government job, even contractural, you have to be registered with our employment exchange, get a job card. When our Goans ask for a job, then you have to give an employment card. If your employment card is not valid then you don’t get a job. How did these people get jobs? This means that these people have got jobs through the backdoor. Does this mean you have sold jobs? This is an important question,” Adv Ferreira said, adding that the Congress party will be taking up the issue and filing cases against the errant officials who have served to allow these jobs to those who do not have permanent residence here.
“There are many industrial workers from UP, Bihar in Goa, which is fine and sometimes they go back to vote, which is their lookout. But Goa has never given a holiday for them to go and vote. So the government has to give a valid explanation for why they have this time given a holiday. Our Goans have been cheated and by cheating our Goans you are bringing others. Even people who have settled here and have their voting here, they haven’t got the jobs either,” he said.
“Or do we have to think that they have duplicate voting cards and can vote both here and there? This needs to be investigated. We the Congress party will take this up and whosoever case we have to file against, we will do that and will file a case against whichever officers did the job of giving the jobs,” he said.
On May 8, the Goa govt issued a notification saying that since there are assembly elections in Karnataka a paid holiday is being notified. Adv Ferreira said that under section 135B of the Representation of People’s Act, no notification is necessary, but since this election is being held in another state, a notification was issued under the Negotiable Instruments Act also.
People reacted and the GSIA reacted saying that it is unnecessary and the govt has defended saying that under section 135B they have issued the notification.
Every person employed in any business — trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and entitled to vote at an election or the house of people or the legislative assembly of a state shall on the day of the poll be granted a holiday.
You get a holiday by law, there is no need to issue a notification. It is already in the law.
“But from what I have just read, when there is an election in the state, that state needs to declare a holiday. I want to ask, when there is an election in any state, do other states need to declare a holiday? Can you say that I have to vote there and I will be going there to vote so you have to give a holiday? This is applicable only to that state where the election is ongoing. The state of Goa has unnecessarily given a holiday,” he said.
Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar stated that the Congress would be taking up the matter to its logical conclusion.
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