BLOCK NOVEMBER 16
The Life Time Achievement Award to Rajan Narayan will be presented by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on November 16, National Press Day. The earlier recipients were Lambert Mascarenhas (first editor of Navhind Times) and “Kaka Singbal”’ veteran of West Coast Times and subsequently special correspondent for the Indian Express along with Sitaram Tengse the late editor of Rashtramath, our other recipient of the award. What is common to OHeraldo and Rashtramath is that both took up the cause of Konkani and Rashtramath played a major role in preventing merger of Goa with Maharashtra.
DABOLIM DOOMED
WITH private airlines of the richest countries demanding spots at Mopa airport it looks like the bells are tolling for Dabholi airport’s survival. The peak cover for domestic flights is between 6am and 12pm. This enables business travellers to fly to Delhi and other commercial destinations and return home the home the same day. This was not possible in Goa because there are no early morning flights and since the Navy had reserved the 6am to 12noon slot for itself. Since the morning hours are peak hours for domestic aircraft it is likely that they will switch to Mopa airport. Leaving no business for Dabolim, already the charter and international flights are taking off from Mopa.
NO EXCESS TO MOPA.
YOU may be travelling from the new state-of-the-art Mopa airport but you will still have problems getting there. The elevated expressway from the highway to the Mopa airport is not yet ready. So vehicles and passengers will have to travel through Goa’s narrow village roads. In the meanwhile, the rush of Russian tourists has commenced and they’re filling up Arambol and Morjim.
NEW GOVERNMENT JOBS
FOR those who want a job in government they will have to have the minimum 1 year experience in the private sector. This makes it impossible for Goan youth to get government jobs. In the first place they don’t like to work for private employers as salaries are very poor. In fact, they would rather remain unemployed then take up a private job. The primary problem is transport and accommodation. Niz Goenkars have no problem for they own their homes. But if a Goan from Margao gets a private job in Panaji his petrol bill will eat up the entire Rs10,000 salary that he earns. Moreover, if the Goan has another paying job in the private sector, why should he want government jobs?
NO INFLUENCE-GIRI!
CHIEF MINISTER Pramod Sawant has declared that 100% of government recruitment including the class four staff will be done by the State Staff Selection Committee (SSC). This no guarantee that the jobs will not be fixed because it is the government which will select the members of the staff selection committee. Unlike the Goa Public Service Commission the staff selection committee will not be an autonomous body free of interference from the body.
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE FOR JOB MELA
EMPLOYMENT opportunities in government departments are limited and hence, it is difficult for the government to provide government jobs for every aspiring youth! Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant stated this categorically while speaking at the Mega Job Fair 2022 function organized by the Department of Labour & Employment at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukharjee Indoor Stadium at Dona Paula, recently.
The Chief Minister expressed his happiness with the overwhelming response from youth and the stakeholders of the industrial sector. More than 18,000 career aspirant educated in various streams participated in the fair. Over 4,000 plus vacancies of jobs were on offer in various categories. The CM expressed his confidence that the State government in collaboration with private sectors will bring change in the lives of our youth by providing them gainful employment he added.
The government will also provide some facilities like home loans, salary upgrading and the like for those who work in the private sector. For example, he mentioned that the government is looking for ESI payment to be made from time to time.
Companies take care of employee welfare by extending them the benefit of both State and Central schemes in Goa. Since jobs in public sector are limited, the CM advised youngsters to opt towards the private sector for acquiring jobs. The previous perception of securing jobs through elected representatives would be stopped hereafter. All government recruitments will be done through Staff Selection Competitive examinations, he said, adding that considering the overwhelming response from job seekers and job donors the government has also decided to organize a job fair down south Goa.
The CM was all praise for the changing mind set of educated youth which is now turning from government jobs to private jobs. He said apart from providing attention towards human development, efforts are being made to lay thrust on developing robust infrastructure in the state. He named the various developmental projects undertaken by the government — National Water Sport Institute at Dona Paula, National Forensic Science University, Ayush Hospital, International School of Law at Sancoale, to name a few. Mopa airport and the Ayurveda hospital will be inaugurated by next month, and the government will soon have a drone police along with a drone school.
Finally, CM said that a year’s experience will be made compulsory for those seeking government jobs. Direct recruitment will end. Merely securing degrees in BA or BCom will not be enough for securing jobs. Other allied skills would be made compulsory in order to develop better human resource in Goa.
Minister for Labour & Employment Atanasio Monserrate also addressed the mela. He said that the 11th Job Fair organized by the Department of Labour & Employment saw more than 18,500 youth registered and about 155 companies participating. He recalled the agony parents who come to see him for jobs for their children. He added that is painful to see the frustration especially amongst educated unemployed youth.
Mr Monserrate observed that jobs in government departments are limited and therefore, he is striving to bring job providers and job seekers on a common platform. He said that the CM along with himself have been in collaboration and many industrialists have created jobs in their establishments which need filling up. This way the Employment Exchange too will be updated vis-à-vis vacancies coming up. All vacancies will be advertised in local newspapers in Konkani and English and youth should look out for them. He advised them to be flexible while looking for job opportunities with private firms.