Goa Church backs 'appointments' made by erstwhile Cong govt

The erstwhile Congress government had in a controversial decision handed out 'offer letters' to as many as 230 candidates for the post of field supervisors on mining sites.

"Several of the recruits after receiving the 'Offer of Appointment' have quit their secure jobs to report for duty and many of whom have families that are dependent on their income.

"This becomes a human rights issue as it amounts to a denial of a sustainable livelihood for no fault of theirs," Fr Maverick Fernandes, Executive Secretary of Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), a wing of the Roman Catholic Church, wrote to Parrikar.

Former chief minister Digambar Kamat had ordered to fill the vacancies after the illegal mining controversy hit the state.

The mining department had issued offer letters to the candidates in the run-up to the Assembly elections in March, even as the BJP, which was then in opposition, had termed it as a 'jobs-for-vote' scam.

After coming to power, BJP has kept on hold all the appointments in mining and other departments like Health, Animal Husbandry.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has handed over all the recruitments to the Vigilance Department, which is probing their authenticity under the Anti-Corruption Act.

Fr Fernandes has said that after perusing the facts provided by the candidates to CSJP, it became apparent that due process of recruitment was followed.

"Therefore, it cannot be understood as to why the government has prevented them from joining duty without any written intimation citing reasons for the same," he added.