PANAJI: Former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar has questioned the Goa Government over what he termed “two different standards” in dealing with senior government officers, citing the retirement of Director of Education Shailesh Zingade and the one-year extension granted to Directorate of Accounts Joint Director Gajanan M. Naik.
Patkar said he had led a gherao of Zingade on September 28 over the pending demands of Goa’s pre-primary teachers. According to Patkar, Zingade had assured the delegation that the concerned file would be moved within eight days.
However, within 48 hours, the Government issued an order stating that Zingade would retire with effect from October 1, 2026.
Patkar contrasted this with the Government’s decision to grant Naik a one-year extension, with the order citing “public interest” as the reason.
“If an officer can be granted a one-year extension in the name of public interest, why was the Director of Education not retained when an important file concerning the rights and legitimate demands of pre-primary teachers was pending before his department?” Patkar questioned.
He also sought clarity on who would now be responsible for ensuring that the assurance given to the teachers on September 28 is fulfilled within the promised eight-day period.
Patkar said the Government should not allow the commitment made to the teachers to lapse following the retirement of the officer.
He further questioned the basis on which “public interest” was applied in the two cases and demanded an explanation from the Government.
“Goa’s pre-primary teachers have waited long enough. Their legitimate rights cannot be caught in administrative uncertainty. The Government owes them an explanation and, more importantly, action,” Patkar said.
