MAPUSA
Stressing the need to encourage youth to be self-employed, Ports Minister Michael Lobo called upon the unemployed youth of Goa to come forward and produce and sell Goan delicacies, including ladoos and bhajjas, to tourists visiting the State.
"Our youth can prepare the foodstuff at home and sell it at the food carts that will be set up in a mini-market at Parra-Verla-Canca. Goans are talented and can prepare things like tendli pickle or even bangda pickle (para).Even sweets like besan or bundi laddoo or chokri. In the evening, they can sell bhajjas. It is necessary for Goans to do this now," Lobo said.
"A lot of Indian tourists are going to come in November. I request Goan boys and girls who are unemployed and talented, to prepare such stuff and sell it on the carts," he added.
The Ports Minister was speaking after the inauguration of a food cart donated by him to one local youth in the Calangute village. Calangute Sarpanch Dinesh Simepurushkar, panchayat member, Shawn Martins, ZP member Dattaprasad Dabholkar and others were also present.
Continuing, Lobo said at least five such food carts will be set up in the mini-market in Parra-Verla-Canca within a month.
He said one cart will be given to around seven to eight youth to sell their goods.
"They can all come together and do business and whatever profit they make after every eight days can be shared among them. The unemployed youth of around eight girls will be provided one cart and another cart to eight boys," he said.
The youth can bake cakes, puffs and make Goan delicacies like cakes, bebinca, reshead masala or prawn pickle (balchao) and sell it for a living.
"They can promote their stuff online and give the cart's address as the selling point. People can come and collect the stuff from the cart. The youth can work from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening and make good business," Lobo said.
The Ports Minister said that along with him the Calangute panchayat will help all those youth who were ready to start a business.
"We are ready to lend support to anyone ready to start a business in his or her property. The Calangute panchayat will issue the licence and if need be we will even help them to obtain a loan for the business," Lobo said.
He said anyone who wants to set up a food cart in their property will be helped by the local panchayat and the government.
"People can sell food items including a fish thali or any Goan delicacies. If panchayat issues a licence, then the person can easily get an FDA licence," he said.
Lobo informed that 50 such food carts have been ordered by him which will be given to those Goan youth who were ready to do business.
Former sarpanch and panch member, Shawn Martins said that the initiative of donating the food cart was done to help poor people.
"We are ready to support the youth who are ready to get self-employed. Calangute panchayat will give all support for people to start such businesses," Martins said.
