Panaji: Girish Chodankar, former President of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and a Permanent Invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), has raised serious concerns over a potential “Goa Vyapam-like scandal” in the state’s recruitment processes. Chodankar has been vocal about these concerns since 2020, warning about the risk of widespread corruption and irregularities.
Chodankar accused Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant of advocating amendments to the Goa Staff Selection Commission Bill, 2019, which allows various departments to bypass established recruitment protocols and hire directly. He argued that such changes open doors to manipulation, making it easier for cash-for-job scams to take place.
“The Chief Minister cannot claim ignorance about recruitment matters and try to run away from this scam. Every issue inevitably leads back to the CM’s office,” Chodankar stated, implying that Dr. Sawant’s office is complicit in the lapses or, at the very least, negligent.
To address these concerns, Chodankar has called for an inquiry led by a retired High Court judge. He stressed that this commission should conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the recruitment processes across departments to restore public trust. “CM failed to act against the PWD recruitment scam alleged by his own minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio Babush Monserrate; current job scam cases also highlight his failure,” he added.
Chodankar also cited previous instances of alleged malpractices, including manipulated answer papers, altered results, and compromised physical examination procedures, which he claims have disadvantaged Goa’s youth. According to him, these scams have become a pattern since 2020, with little action taken to curb the rot.
In urging for transparency and reform, Chodankar’s demands aim to ensure that recruitment processes in Goa are conducted with fairness, integrity, and accountability. The call for a judicial inquiry underscores the need for a significant overhaul in the state’s hiring practices to protect the interests of deserving candidates.