The Goa BJP women’s wing has demanded that Government offices should have alcometers, to test and catch Government servants coming drunk to office.
Addressing a Press conference at the party’s State headquarters, Bharatiya Mahila Morcha head Kunda Chodankar said efforts of officials coming drunk is not uncommon and that surprise checks are the need of the hour.“We have received several complaints that Government servants step out for lunch during their break and come back drunk… The use of alcometers will help keep this in check. Those who are suspected of having consumed alcohol can be subjected to alcometer checks,” Chodankar said.
Earlier in the day Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar conducted a surprise inspection of several Government offices in the sub-district of Mapusa including those run by the Revenue, Urban Development, Public Works Department, etc in Mapusa, during the post lunch hour, when he found several bureaucrats missing from their seats.
Goa has a relatively liberal alcohol tax regime, making it available cheap and aplenty and alcohol consumption is common amongst tourists as well as local residents. Chodankar was all praise for the Chief Minister for carrying out the sudden inspection, which she said had exposed “lack of discipline in various Government offices”.“We waited for two and a half years for a sense of discipline to set in amongst Government officers, but that does not seem to have helped. We are glad that the Chief Minister is now cracking the whip,” she said.