Panaji: Chief Election Commissioner SY
Quraishi on Friday said that government jobs were being handed out
by the state government in the run-up to the Goa Legislative
Assembly election.
But he said the Election Commission of India had no
powers to act till the model code of conduct was in place.
The EC team was in Goa to review election preparations.
Assembly polls are due in mid-next year in Goa.
"The jobs are being given, but we don't have the powers
to do anything before the code of conduct," said Quraishi, who
had received complaints that ministers were handing out jobs
ahead of the polls.
Opposition BJP too raised the issue with Election
Commission officials today.
Quraishi said the state's chief secretary had been asked
to give detailed report on the government job situation during
last meeting. "I have yet to meet the chief secretary. I am
awaiting report from him," he said.
However, Goa Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava said
soon after the meeting with EC officials that nobody had
sought any report from his office, or from him.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 00:50