Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s recent assurance on opening 5,000 jobs is a small consolation when Goa is struggling with a high unemployment rate of 15.9 per cent, double the national average of 7.8 per cent. For a State with a high GDP and a strong literacy rate, a 7th rank nationally on unemployment is disappointing and embarrassing.
On the flip side, the State has a dubious track record of job creation, with umpteen promises of jobs unkept right from the Manohar Parrikar era of 2017. The government had to freeze jobs announced because of financial constraints or a flawed recruitment process marred by a skewed quota system.
Sawant’s intention of opening up jobs could be genuine since he has been speaking of these 5,000 jobs since December 2022, but the process is going at snail’s pace leaving many to wonder if the promise will ever see the light of day. As part of its poll promise, we recall the government had set December 31, 2021, as a target for opening 10,000 jobs.
Interestingly, while the CM pitched for more jobs, he also mentioned that the recruitment process would be done through the Staff Selection Commission so that only deserving candidates are picked. This is a welcome decision against favouritism and political interference in government jobs.
The unemployment figures of Goa are a matter of concern, and the government of the day must realise that even the 5,000 jobs it intends to open up will not bring a paradigm shift in the overall numbers. It is time for the government to promote entrepreneurship and work with the private sector to open the job space further. Government jobs alone will not help the State escape the unemployment quagmire.
Sawant announced an ambitious employment plan in the recently concluded Assembly session of creating 20,000 jobs in the private sector in the next two years. He responded to a private members’ resolution moved by Opposition MLAs on the rising joblessness. These are random figures that governments have thrown. A proposal to bring legislation for 80 per cent job reservation for locals in private industries did not find favour from the government, and the recent assurance to reward companies with better incentives in exchange for jobs to Goans is still at a discussion stage.
While eyeing employment, Sawant must focus on skill development and creating human resource that fits industry requirements. Before considering government incentives for hiring locals, this becomes a prerequisite for any industry. The need now is to onboard private enterprises and focus on skill development. A one-year mandatory private job experience for government recruitment announced by Sawant is not the solution but a futile and directionless experiment.
Goa faces an unemployment crisis leading to outbound migration, with lakhs of Goans moving towards Europe and the Middle East. If opportunities are dwindling, the situation will only worsen with students moving away from Goa. It’s time the government reasons and studies States with high employability like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
