SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: The five years beginning 2010 saw a steep rise of 15.42 percent in government employees. From a figure of 53,069 government employees in Goa in all three sectors – regular employees, public sector undertakings and grant-in-aid institutions – the number increased to a whopping 61,256 in January 2015.
The census indicates that as on March 31, 2010 there were 53,069 employees in 76 government departments, 19 State public sector undertakings and 20 grant-in-aid institutions comprising 35,585 males and 17,484 females.
There were 46,349 regular, 909 ad-hoc, 3,452 work charge and 2,359
other employees. The employee figures for the year 2010 show an increase of 11.21 percent over the 2007 census.
In 2012, the election year, the then alliance government attempted to woo voters by hiring a number of people in government jobs.
The period from January 2010 to January 2013, saw 4939 new recruitments in various government departments. This is apart from appointments canceled by the BJP government that took office in 2012, and which they claimed was in violation of the election code of conduct.
In March 2013, the census indicates there were 58,008 employees, comprising 36,996 males and 21,012 females. There were 51,860 regular, 493 ad-hoc, 2,766 work charge and 2,889 others category employees. The employee figures for 2013 show an increase of 9.31 percent over the 2010 census.
While Congress was on a hiring spree, the BJP too did not lag behind as from 2013 to 2015 (two years time) 3248 persons were recruited in various departments, corporations and grant-in aid institutions.
The census indicates that as on January 1, 2015 there were 61,256 employees comprising 39,360 males and 21,896 females. There were 51,628 regular, 2,574 ad-hoc, 3,350 work charge and 3,704 others.
The employee’s figures for 2015 show an increase of 5.60 percent over the 2013 census. The total numbers of employees in State government departments was 41,878 comprising 29,467 males and 12,411 females of which 35,522 were regular, 1686 were ad-hoc, 3,335 work charged and 1,335 others.
Former Planning Board Chairman Ramakant Khalap, who has also served as the Union Minister for Law, blames the successive governments for not promoting entrepreneurship. “The governments have not made proper usage of CMRY and the PMRY schemes and not promoted entrepreneurship that is the reason why people are only seeking government jobs,” he stated.
Khalap said that corporations like GTDC and EDC must promote self employment in tourism and other sectors for the youth. “Give them some space for business, finance and so also the subsidy so that people move away from traditional government jobs,” he said.
