Phal Dessai says promises made to Cuncolim residents have not been fulfilled
The NIT Goa Campus at Cuncolim.
MARGAO
Nearly a decade after the BJP government pushed through the establishment of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa campus at Cuncolim by assuring reservations for locals in jobs and admissions, a senior minister in the government has now demanded an audit of employment opportunities provided to Goans at the premier institute.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai recalled that he, along with several BJP leaders including former Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik, had personally reached out to various sections of society in Cuncolim — including community elders and members of the education sector — to persuade them not to oppose the setting up of the NIT campus.
Speaking during a visit to Cuncolim on Wednesday, Phal Dessai demanded an employment audit of the NIT Goa campus to determine how many locals had actually secured jobs at the institute. He alleged that there were instances in the past when the institute had refused to recruit locals even for security positions until the government intervened and insisted on preference for Goans.
The minister said autonomous central institutions such as NIT Goa and ONGC must prioritise locals for employment, considering that Goa had sacrificed land, infrastructure and resources for these establishments.
“Instances have been brought to my notice where locals were denied employment at the interview stage despite clearing the tests on merit. We will not accept any injustice towards local youth,” Phal Dessai warned. He added that he would raise the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and demand a detailed audit of recruitment at the NIT Goa campus.
Recalling the initial resistance to the institute, Phal Dessai said the government had assured residents that the campus would revolutionise technical education in the State while also creating reservations in admissions and employment for locals.
“We convinced people not to oppose the institute because we were promised opportunities for local youth. Goa has provided land, water and other resources, but the promised jobs have not materialised,” he said.
Phal Dessai also condemned reports alleging that jobs at the institute had been given to relatives of NIT officials. He demanded that the government verify the recruitment process through an independent audit. “Let the audit determine whether relatives of NIT officials have secured jobs in the institute. I have already spoken to senior NIT officials and I want to make it clear that I will take this issue very seriously,” he said.
The minister further stated that the people of Cuncolim had not struggled to bring NIT to the town only to face what he described as “insulting treatment” of local youth.
“I demand an impartial recruitment process and an end to the harassment of local youth,” he said.
Questioning the benefits of hosting major institutions in the State without adequate employment opportunities for locals, Phal Dessai said that if Goa aims to emerge as an education hub, institutes such as NIT and ONGC must ensure greater participation of Goans in their workforce.
