PANAJI: The Goa Cabinet has approved an amendment to the Employment Exchange Act, making it mandatory for private companies to advertise job vacancies within the state, failing which they will have to pay a penalty of up to Rs 30,000.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the decision at the Cabinet press briefing at the Mantralaya today.
“We have amended the Act making it mandatory for the private firms to issue job advertisements within State on priority," Sawant said.
"Non-compliance will attract penalties of Rs 5,000 for the first offence, Rs 10,000 for the second, and Rs 15,000 for the third. Larger firms with over 400 employees will face steeper fines, ranging from Rs 20,000 for the first violation to Rs 30,000 for repeat offences. A labour inspector will be appointed to monitor compliance,” he added.
The opposition had recently criticized the government after some private pharma companies issued advertisements for job vacancies outside Goa instead of giving preference to local candidates. The Chief Minister had later directed the firms to withdraw the same.
In 2024, Sawant had informed the legislative assembly about plans to amend the state's Employment Exchanges Act to ensure private companies prioritize local candidates in their hiring process.
The Cabinet also approved the recruitment of 24 positions in the Animal Husbandry Department on a contract basis. A budget of Rs 5 crore was sanctioned for the Excise Department, while Rs 15 lakh was allocated to the North Goa District Collector’s office to cover expenses incurred during the COVID-19 period.
The cabinet decided to acquire the Nandadeep building of Mapusa Urban Bank for Rs 25 crore to safeguard public deposits. the Cabinet also approved leasing out the proposed convention centre at Rua De Ourem to a 5-star hotel. The Center will host world-class events and conferences in Goa
A sum of Rs 1.5 crore has also been sanctioned for organizing the Goa Spiritual Festival.
