The truth must come out and those involved in the cash-for-jobs scam must be booked
The cash-for-jobs scam has taken a new twist. A year after the state was rocked by the scam, one of the accused, Pooja Naik, has come out with new “revelations”. Last week, she threw a bombshell, and since then the episode has been unfolding. On Friday, she named one minister and two senior officers in connection with the recruitment scam. The amount involved, according to Naik, is a mind-boggling Rs 17.68 crore from 613 applicants. She says she has come out publicly so that those who have taken the money promising jobs should refund it to the job-seekers. Naik is just one of the accused in the cash-for-jobs scam; there were several others, most of whom were arrested a year ago. Parents of job-seekers had reportedly borrowed money, taken loans or pledged gold to pay for the jobs.
Naik reiterated that she had already named the officials last year when she was arrested, but the investigation was never taken to its logical conclusion. She said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was not involved in the scam. Last week, she had said that she had paid the money at an office/flat in Porvorim, a charge that the Goa Police said they could not corroborate. On Friday, Naik reiterated her claim.
The issue has generated much interest, as it has exposed the government’s recruitment process. Considering her statements and the police role, many questions are being asked: what made Naik come out publicly last week, a year after she was arrested? As naming politicians or senior bureaucrats involves a risk, the question is: does she have the backing of any political bigwig? Is she telling the truth? Are the dates given by her for when the cash was paid for jobs correct? Since the posts were in different departments, were only two officers involved?
Presuming that she has spoken the truth, what should have followed is a proper investigation. Last year, when several allegations were being made, the police held a press conference to say that no accused had named any politician. On Friday, Naik reiterated that a year ago, when her statement was recorded following her arrest, she had named the three. She also said that in her statement to the police earlier this week, she had given the same names. However, the police, during a press briefing two days ago, said that Naik never named them as accused. Who is telling the truth? It is important that Naik’s statement is recorded before the magistrate.
The police would do well to relaunch the investigation into the entire scam based on the statements recorded last year and now. The money taken must be returned, and those involved booked. A loose investigation will only spoil Goa’s name. A thorough investigation is required to reassure our youth that they can get jobs not by paying money but on merit.
Looking at the entire scam from what has come into the public domain, the matter is astonishing and disturbing. It once again shows the kind of unemployment scenario that exists in the state. Over the years, the governments have hardly facilitated the setting up of industries that could offer jobs suited to our youth. From the industries, with some exceptions, that have come up over the last three decades, there has been a mismatch between what our youth have studied and what was on offer by industry. This has also brought huge numbers of migrants into the state, resulting in social tension. Several factors, including the selection of candidates for government jobs not based on merit, poor salaries in the private sector, fewer job opportunities at the middle and high levels in the private sector, and the lack of entrepreneurship among Goans, have led to out-migration. Corruption is one reason Goa is facing this situation.
