PANAJI
The State government has disputed NITI Aayog’s unemployment figures for Goa, arguing that several employed youth have not cancelled their registration with the Regional Employment Exchange, which implies there are more job seekers than actual numbers.
“Once students complete their Class 12th Board exams, they often register with the Employment Exchange, as the minimum job requirement is Class XII and 18 years of age. These students then pursue further studies and subsequently secure private jobs. However, they don’t cancel their registration because there is a rule to attach copy of employment exchange card when applying for government jobs,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said while responding to a calling attention notice tabled by MLA Venzy Viegas.
Sawant further explained that the Employment Exchange ensures that a candidate is a 15-year resident of Goa, which is one of the mandatory requirements for government jobs. “As a result, these candidates don’t cancel their registration even when employed in private jobs. They are studying and continuing their registration, or working in the private sector and still applying for vacancies in government departments,” he added.
Replying to rising unemployment on paper, the Chief Minister stated that the government has begun inquiring with employment exchange registered to categorise employed and unemployed candidates with the department.
“Around 1,59,676 are registered for jobs with the Employment Exchange. Our inquiry revealed that 54,142 of them are currently working in private jobs and are seeking government employment. Ongoing inquiries involve another 87,270 persons, of whom 18,264 are pursuing further studies such as graduation and post-graduation. Some are self-employed or on contract government jobs. I am confident that after further scrutiny, the number of unemployed will drop to around 30-35,000,” he stated.
Earlier, Labour Minister Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate informed the assembly that he disputes the Central government’s unemployment data, noting that the number of employed individuals in the State is rising. Sawant added that 2,120 Goans were offered jobs through government-sponsored job fairs.
