From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 24:  Around 15,000 members affiliated to Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) will choose their new executive committee amidst the strong rumours that the oldest union is facing a serious split.

“There is no split in the union. We have began the election process and all our members will vote to choose their favourite executive committee,” GGEA President Mangaldas Shetkar told reporters at the union office.

Shetkar said that the union called for the emergency executive committee meeting after few newspapers carried stories of rift in the association.

Rubbishing the news as rumours, Shetkar said that the elections would be held on May 2 and 21 and candidates are in the fray.

GGEA is oldest union of Goa government which has 15,000 active members.Shetkar said that the union is going strong and even and has held a meeting with Rajiv Yaduvanshi, special secretary to chief minister, to discuss their demand of parity in scales.

“The government is selectively upgrading pay scales of few people in the run up for the sixth pay commission implementation. In past government had agreed that there will not be any selective upgradation of scales,” he said.

GGEA President said that every time the union thumps its charter of demands on the government, there are moves and rumours to disturb the union.“Last time there was similar move and we had to disqualify two of our office bearers. This time, I don’t think the government is involved in attempts to destabilise. But the development has come when we are strongly pressing for our demands,” Shetkar alleged.