Yet another flawed moved by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. His recent announcement that non-Goan women who intend to seek government employment and are married to Goans, would now require a mere two-year domicile instead of 15 years has to be strongly condemned.
Such a wrong move by the government raises a question about the very sincerity and logistics of those including the Chief Minister himself who has been swearing on the commitment to Special Status for Goa as a measure to ensure protection to the sons of our soil. This is surely a backdoor means for persons who have absolutely no connection with the State, except upon marriage, to immediately rush in, to get a plum post under the Government. What about those thousands already enrolled in the Employment Exchange and awaiting a call? Has any other State given such benefits to a spouse, after marriage? The danger that such a move further entails is of marriages of convenience to secure plumb government jobs without any requirement or condition that the marriage should subsist for any period of time after getting that employment. Is not Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar aware that singling out only women for this benefit is an outdated approach of legislation and jurisprudence? Modern day convention does not permit and accept such gender based discrimination. If women can be given, what prevents men from claiming such benefit, on plea of hostile discrimination under Articles 14 & 16 of the Constitution? Seeing the way in which this government over the last two years has been mending and bending the recruitment rules to suit particular candidates of their choice, one wonders whether this relaxation to a two year domicile for non-Goan women is a gimmick to only enable particular persons already lined up to infiltrate into the government service and then to revert back to the 15 year domicile. Mr. Chief Minister your sincerity and credibility is getting eroded by the day. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372