the goan I network
PERNEM
Tourism Minister and Pernem MLA Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar on Saturday threatened to stop work at Mopa airport, if local youth are not given priority in jobs and other contracts by the GMR company.
Ajgaonkar and a group of supporters went to the Mopa airport construction site, after being aggrieved that local youth were not getting jobs and other contracts at the site.
“The people of Pernem taluka have made a great sacrifice by giving nearly 2 crore sq mrts of land for the airport project. Hence, it is their right to be given priority in all kinds of jobs, but the company has been appointing people from outside Pernem,” Ajgaonkar said.
“It was decided at a meeting with one of the company directors to give priority to youths from Pernem in matters pertaining to employment. The initial work at Mopa airport was started a week ago and when we took stock of the work, we found that outsiders were given jobs and this is unacceptable. We will stop work if injustice is done to our youth,” warned Ajgaonkar.
“If Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had not fallen ill, this would not never have happened. In his absence, the contractor is employing people of his choice for some contracts,” said Ajgaonkar, before leaving the site along with his supporters.
