Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Congress MLA Adv Carlos Ferreira accused the BJP-led government of presiding over a series of scams and questioned why alleged cash-for-jobs frauds continued to surface in Goa, citing a case in which a man reportedly obtained a fake appointment letter for the post of Excise Commissioner.
Ferreira said the latest allegations had raised serious questions about the functioning of the government and the progress of investigations into recruitment-related frauds. He alleged that people were being lured with promises of government employment in exchange for large sums of money.
“The only thing we hear are newer and newer levels of scams being propagated during the rule of the present BJP government,” Ferreira said, questioning why the cash-for-jobs controversy had continued for months.
Referring to the case, Ferreira alleged that a man had paid Rs 27 lakh to an individual identified as Sankhwalkar, who allegedly provided him with an appointment letter for the post of Excise Commissioner.
According to Ferreira, the alleged dealings between the two had reportedly begun in 2019, with promises of securing various government positions over the years. He said the man had initially been assured appointments to lower-ranking posts, including Awal Karkun, mamlatdar and assistant commissioner, before allegedly receiving the appointment letter for the senior Excise Commissioner’s position.
Ferreira questioned how the individual expected to secure such a senior government post without applying for it or appearing for the required examination. He further claimed that the man had gone to the office and assumed charge based on the purported appointment letter, raising questions about how the document was issued and whether the relevant authorities had verified its authenticity.
Ferreira also alleged that the same individual had promised the man’s sister a job as an accountant in the Public Works Department (PWD), for which a payment of Rs 25 lakh was reportedly made.
He questioned who had authorised Sankhwalkar to make such assurances and whether any influential individuals were involved in the alleged transactions. Ferreira further claimed that he had learnt that payments had also been made through bank transactions, and alleged that Sankhwalkar was currently absconding. These claims could not be independently verified.
The Congress MLA alleged that the case could involve several people who had reportedly been promised government jobs in exchange for money. He said Sankhwalkar had allegedly offered appointments as excise inspectors and assistant excise inspectors while invoking the names of influential people to persuade prospective victims.
Ferreira also raised allegations of a separate land-related transaction, claiming that Rs 80 lakh had allegedly been collected in connection with a promise to provide a plot of land that was never delivered.
Questioning the course of the investigation, Ferreira asked whether the police would pursue those allegedly responsible, including any influential persons whose names might emerge during the probe.
He said the public needed answers on how individuals could allegedly collect substantial sums by promising government appointments and whether sufficient action was being taken to prevent such incidents.
The Congress MLA challenged the BJP government to explain why allegations of recruitment fraud continued to emerge despite the controversy surrounding cash-for-jobs dealings.
The allegations against Sankhwalkar and any other individuals require investigation and independent verification. Whether further arrests or prosecutions will follow remains to be seen.
