PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane got into a heated discussion when the latter charged that the Investment Promotion Board has turned out to be a ‘dalal’ (broker). Parsekar shot back accusing the erstwhile government of denying local youth the opportunity to even work as security guards. 

“The IPB has become a ‘dalal,” Rane alleged while pointing out to reputed companies like Nestle of recruiting maximum non-Goans for jobs. A visibly upset Rane’s controversial remark was on failing to get a convincing response from the government on mechanisms laid down in the Investment Promotion Act to protect jobs for Goans in the industrial sector. 

CM’s continuous reply that IP policy ensures that industries compulsorily recruit 80-85 percent Goans and a committee under Industries Minister and Labour Commissioner maintains a check, failed to convince the Valpoi MLA.  

“When industries want to set up in Goa, why will it bring employees from other states? The situation arises only when locals refuse a job. Nonetheless, we are not encouraging such companies,” the CM added.

In a bid to strengthen his claim, Rane cited the example of Nestle in Bicholim that has majority employees from Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. “Reputed companies like Nestle have contractors from other states although we have Goans as registered contractors, who can meet the requirements. Such companies get hoards of people from Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha because they are cheap unskilled labourers,” he alleged while highlighting the plight of former Nestle workers from Usgao village who still await reinstatement.      

“We have thousands of boys ready to work,” he said. The discussion turned ugly when Parsekar stated the present coalition has stopped the flow of non-Goans into local jobs, a practice rampant during the previous tenure. “The security guards at the Health department, Goa medical college, Secretariat and even Kala Academy had outsiders taking away the opportunity. They were recruited by one G-7 company and belonged to the same states,” he said. 

Rane raised a point of order with the CM seeking to know why he was taking it personally. “We did not steal from anyone…I make these allegations, IPB has become a dalal,” Rane reacted in a loud tone. 

As Parsekar boasted of giving employment to thousands of Goans as ‘security guards’ through the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation, Rane hit out at him stating educated local youths do not deserve these jobs. “The GHRDC can give only housekeeping and security jobs, nothing else,” he said demanding scrapping of the Labour portfolio. 

The debate did not end here as another of the CM’s remarks that the former government ‘took commission’ angered the Congress leader even more. “He should tell us who took the commission,” Rane demanded to know. 

The discussion ended after Speaker Anant Shet’s intervention even as he faced allegations of being biased towards the government.