The Goa government has heartlessly played with the lives and wellbeing of all and sundry. Injustice galore not sparing even its own employees.
In a drastic step having far reaching financial implications on hundreds of its employees an order was issued suddenly last year withdrawing the Housing Building Advance (HBA) Scheme given to Government employees.
The loan which was availed at an interest rate of 2% now requires the employees to suddenly pay the current prevailing rate of over 10%. This skewed decision of winding up HBA Scheme is most arbitrary, unfair, capricious and done in a very hasty manner violating fundamental Rights of those who had availed of the scheme.
It has caused extreme financial hardship and a lot of stress as benefits given at the time of employment cannot be taken away in this manner to their detriment. This sudden withdrawal of the HBA Scheme has resulted in very high financial burdens due to which employees are unable to repay their now enhanced loan installments.
The least the government could have done was to stop accepting new applications thus avoiding needless economic havoc by upsetting existing loans thereby impacting its employees and their families with such unbelievable distress and that too in a pandemic.
Dr. Bob Nelson, the world’s leading authority on employee recognition advises Governments to take time to appreciate employees and that they will reciprocate positively in a thousand ways. Time the Goa Government heeded his advice!
