PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has questioned the real nature of Goa’s unemployment issue, suggesting the problem may not be a lack of jobs but rather the unwillingness of job seekers to accept available opportunities.
Speaking at the Industry Outreach Programme under the nationwide Sewa Pakhwada in Panaji on Monday, Sawant gave an example of a recent Rojgar Mela. At the event, 49 industries offered about 350 jobs, but when he asked the audience who was willing to take them, only 100 people raised their hands.
“This raises a question ” are jobs really not available, or are people unwilling to accept them? I have been studying this issue for the past three years,” Sawant said.
He explained that industries have been holding talks with workers’ unions, associations, and job seekers to close this gap. The government, he added, is working with industries to link them with ITIs, polytechnics, and colleges, while also running skill programmes that meet industry needs.
According to him, a “mindset problem” remains, as many Goans still see private jobs as less secure than government employment. “Our Labour Department has ensured that workers cannot be removed unfairly if they perform their duties. We have started skilling and apprenticeship programmes, and their impact will be visible in two years,” Sawant said.
He shared that more than 8,000 Goans have joined private companies under the CM Apprenticeship Scheme, which is building skilled manpower and a stronger work culture. He also said that experience certificates from private sector jobs are now being accepted for government posts such as LDC and MTS.
Even so, Sawant admitted that Goa faces a paradox. Official records show around 1.10 lakh unemployed persons, but he claimed that many of them are studying further or working in private jobs while waiting only for government posts.
“In truth, hardly 20 per cent of those registered are really unemployed. The question is, are they without options, or are they simply refusing available opportunities while waiting for government jobs? Unless this mindset changes, the problem cannot be solved,” he said.
