PANJIM: As the Pooja Naik cash for government jobs scam spreads its tentacles all over Goa, with the Goa police apprehending more accomplices and busting more scams, it has come to light that another scamster Priya Yadav has duped several others with Railway job assurances and collected a sum of over Rs 1 crore. Already 12 persons have been arrested In this edition of Street Voices, Herald TV spoke to people on whether, the deceit involved in the job scam is bigger than any financial irregularities that have happened in Goa.
I had an inkling last year that the jobs scams would get bigger. Last October there was an examination held at South Goa Collectorate. Then in February there was another exam held to shortlist candidates around February 2, 2024 and they prepare the list because the Prime Minister was to come to Margao (for the election campaign) on February 6. And on February6 the Prime Minister declared that 1900 job letters have been given. When I did some research I collected circumstantial evidence at the South Goa Collectorate that some big scam was going on with respect to jobs. Thereafter on September 10, 2024 the Fatorda MLA raised the issue of job scam. This means that the job scam was cooking for a long time. Inspite of us raising the red flags, government did nothing. Now one by one skeletons are falling out of the cupboard. Sawant Sarkar is become like a Goa republic, everyone does whatever they want to do.
Anthony D’Silva, Social Activist
The job scam is a parallel employment exchange with transaction running into huge amounts with the blessings of the elected representative and the bureaucrats –these are their higher ups. This parallel employment exchange was always existing, but the amounts that changed hands were smaller. But now it is running into lakhs of rupees. These job brokers have contacts in high places. They inturn have sub brokers and agents. Each job has a fixed rate. Those arrested such as Pooja Naik is just to show the public, but the scams are on. The arrests are an eyewash Who will stop the taking of money. But I also blame our parents who give money and buy jobs for their children. They bribe givers too should be arrested.
Mariano Ferrao, Social Activist
Pooja Naik is like a small soldier on the chess board, who takes all the beating. The King and Queen are way behind. One person has died by suicide. One has been picked up from Kolhapur. There is one madam sitting in Sankhali. Instead of the chief minister asking people to complain about the cash for government jobs scam, he should find out who this madam from Sankhali is. We firmly say that the government itself is responsible for the drama of job scam. There is lot of pressure on people to get jobs for their livelihoods. Youth –boys as well as girls, cannot get married because they do not have jobs. Due to this the scamsters get a chance to loot people. When we go to the secretariat with a letter it is very difficult to get inside, but how did Pooja Naik get free access to the secretariat? This means that minister themselves are involved in this cash for government jobs scam.