Aires complains to Election Commission about Director Fire Services

A complaint has been today filed today by Adv. Aires Rodrigues with the Chief Election Commission against Ashok Menon Goa’s Director of Fire Services in connection with the recruitment process of 286 employees.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint has drawn the attention of the election Commission that on 23rd December 2011, the eve of Election Model Code of Conduct coming into force the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services held a written test to recruit staff for 286 posts in the Department.

Of these, 202 posts were for fire fighters, 17 for driver operators and 10 as watchmen operators.

Stating that all recruitment in Government service should be transparent and strictly on merits, Adv. Rodrigues has demanded that the Goa Government be directed to declare null and void the whole recruitment process for the 286 posts to ensure that injustice is not done to candidates with merits aspiring for Government jobs.

Adv. Rodrigues has in his complaint sought that the entire recruitment process to the 286 posts be probed to see whether the Department had expedited the whole recruitment process and whether the process was in fact stalled after the coming into force of the Model Code of Conduct.

Stating that the Election Commission should probe whether after coming into force of the Election Model Code of Conduct, the written papers were assessed and whether any appointments were made.

Adv. Rodrigues has also requested that the Election Commission to examine the list of candidates who appeared for the written test on 23rd December 2011, to ascertain whether the candidates called for the written test were from particular electoral constituencies.

Adv. Rodrigues has also drawn the Election Commission’s attention that it was public knowledge that the administration and working of the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services has over the last few years been influenced by political considerations, while leaving a lot of room for corruption and manipulation in its working.