PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has once again urged Goan youth to look beyond conventional government jobs, pointing to emerging opportunities in disaster management, waste management, healthcare and veterinary care.
These, he said, are increasingly being taken up by people from outside the State. Citing disaster management as an example, Sawant said that when the government advertised a post in the field, not a single Goan applied, while a candidate from Kashmir with a diploma in disaster management took up the opportunity and is being paid around Rs 1.5 lakh a month. “There was only one post advertised in this field, yet people from outside Goa are coming here and taking up such opportunities,” he said at the launch of Seva Sankalp Abhiyan on Wednesday. The CM further added that similar opportunities were emerging in waste management, with diploma courses already being offered at Saligao.
"Our plant in Saligao has one of the best bio-waste management facilities in Goa. In future, supervisory positions in the sector would also offer better prospects. Our Goan youth should take the opportunity," he said. Healthcare was another area with significant potential, which he cited has growing demand for affordable and preventive healthcare, mental well-being services, elderly care, accessibility and community healthcare. “These needs exist in Goa, and people are willing to pay for such services,” he said, adding that people from outside the State were increasingly coming to Goa to set up old-age homes and community healthcare centres.
The CM then spoke about demand for veterinary healthcare. Referring to a private veterinary facility he recently visited with his pet, Sawant said he found 12 to 13 dogs admitted there, including four to five in the ICU. “I asked where the person running the facility was from. He said Nanded (Maharastra). He is not a veterinary doctor but started the clinic in collaboration with veterinary doctors. Goan doctors are also employed there,” he said.
Sawant said the demand for such specialised veterinary care was so high that beds were hardly available. He had paid around Rs 1.5 lakh for three to four days of treatment for his dog, including ICU and other medical facilities. "I began to wonder where are our Goan veterinary doctors? They too can start such ventures."
Speaking about educational assistance, Sawant said more than 33,000 applications were received under the Chief Minister’s Scholarship Scheme last year. He said the administration processed the applications within two months and credited the assistance directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, helping students meet their educational expenses on time. Boot camps based on seven key themes are also being conducted across more than 70 colleges as part of an initiative aimed at contributing to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and ‘Viksit Goa 2037’. The event also saw the unveiling of the Goa Online AI WhatsApp Chatbot, designed to facilitate access to government services through WhatsApp, and the Ayurhackathon, to encourage technology-driven solutions and innovation in Ayurveda and allied fields.
