Guv takes jibe at MVA over job to Kavita Raut
MUMBAI: Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has once again slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for not providing a government job to athlete Kavita Raut, who has represented the country in the Commonwealth Games. State sports minister Sunil Kedar said they had offered her a job but she wanted one based on her qualification, for which the state will have to tweak its rules and regulations. Kedar further said that they have started the process to make the desired changes.
“If the state government and sports minister Sunil Kedar are not able to provide a job to Kavita Raut, then something is wrong. What is Maharashtra government doing if there are no teachers in tribal areas and their vacant posts are not getting filled?” the governor said while inaugurating a newly constructed building of tribal cultural bhavan in Nashik on Wednesday.
Raut had met the governor and informed him that she was not getting a job in Class-1 category despite an assurance from the state government. She had also said that she has been trying to get a job since 2014, but her efforts were in vain.
Following this, Koshyari on November 30 last year wrote a letter to the sports minister saying Raut was eligible for Class-1 category job and that the benefit based on her qualification should be extended. “She has represented the country in the Rio Olympics in 2016 and also brought glory in the Asiad and Commonwealth Games by winning medals. She comes from a scheduled tribe community and enhanced the glory of the country at international level without any support. Considering her track record, she is eligible for a Class-1 job,” states the letter.
Citing that Raut was working with ONGC as a first class officer, the governor added, “Please extend the benefits by appointing her as Class-1 officer.”
The sports minister said, “We offered her a job but she requested for another one based on her qualifications, which is not possible under existing rules and regulations for recruitment. We decided to move her proposal as a special case but was told the rules should be equal for all the sportspersons, and thus decided to amend the rules. She will get a job of her choice once the process is completed.”
Raut was not available for comment.