Congress warns of ‘paralysing’ NIT if locals denied jobs

NIT Goa Campus at Cuncolim.

MARGAO
Days after Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai demanded an audit of employment at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa campus at Cuncolim, the Congress has slammed the double-engine BJP government in Goa and at the Centre over jobs in the premier institute going to outsiders.
Congress workers pointed out that Cuncolim will become Viksit Cuncolim only if the BJP government ensures that jobs generated at the NIT Goa campus are provided to local youth. Warning the government not to test the patience of Cuncolkars, party leaders said it would not take much time for the people of Cuncolim to paralyse the functioning of NIT if the alleged discrimination against local youth does not end immediately.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, who represents the Cuncolim constituency, said he had consistently taken up the issue of jobs at the NIT going to outsiders long before the Social Welfare Minister demanded an audit at the institute.
“The NIT management does not care for the local government. There is dictatorship in the running of the institute. They have provided jobs only to outsiders. Security jobs were initially provided to Goan youth, but even security services have now been outsourced to contractors, who do not give preference to locals,” Yuri said.
Saying that the BJP government has failed to mete out justice to local youth despite handing over land admeasuring lakhs of square metres to the institute, the opposition leader said, “Let the government explain to Cuncolkars how they have benefited through the NIT.”
He added: “It is a shame that both the engines of the BJP government have failed in protecting the interests of local people. Every time I have raised the issue, the Chief Minister only assured us that he would take up the matter with the Union Education Minister, but nothing changed.”
Yuri said an action plan to protect the interests of local youth would be put in place after taking local stakeholders into confidence.
Swapnil Desai said Cuncolim will become Viksit Cuncolim only if Cuncolkars get jobs at the NIT Goa campus. “The government should not force Cuncolkars to take action to paralyse the institute,” he warned.