WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
VITHALDAS HEGDE
PANJIM: Levels of unemployment in Goa is not mere an elephant in the room
The last date released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Goa has the highest unemployment rate. Goa's unemployment rate was 11.6 per cent in January 2023, 15.5 per cent in April 2023 and 13.7 per cent in August 2023. Goa's unemployment rate is more than three times the national average of 3.17 per cent, according to the CMIE.
All these figures indicate that the employment scenario in the touristic State is a matter of concern and the government need to conduct various outreach activities like career guidance and job fairs to create new job opportunities to address the issue.
The Parrikar government’s promise to create 50,000 jobs and make the State unemployment-free within five years has remained on paper. Also the statement made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that he will fulfill late Parrikar’s promise of providing 40,000-50,000 during his tenure has too proved to be a hollow and only used to deceive the gullible youth.
There are as many as 1,38,409 unemployed candidates registered on Live Register of the Department of Labour and Employment from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023. Among them highest 46,302 are Class XII followed by 33,486 graduates and 11,575 post-graduates.
Labour and Employment Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate said that the government is conducting jobs fair and providing various avenues to provide jobs to the educated unemployed youth.
"Offers of appointment were given to more than 700 job aspirants on the first day of the mega job fair held in November 2022. The offers were in various companies. Even those offers were from airlines and cruise liners. More than 170 companies including airlines, cruise liners, pharmaceuticals, Information Technology (IT), hospitality, banking and real estate sectors participated in the two-day job fair," Monserrate said.
Political analyst Trajano D’Mello said that unemployment rate was one of the highest in the country. The State government has failed to give any solace or unemployment allowance which was promised to them by the BJP during 2012 Assembly elections.
"The result of this and the anguish and pain among the educated unemployed youth will be reflected in the coming Lok Sabha polls," D'Mello said.
AAP youth wing national vice-president Siddesh Bhagat said, “The highly educated class is moving out of Goa because there is no scope for them in the State. Whatever announcements are there they are only on paper. On ground level there are no projects. Job fair was organised but there is no information how many people got jobs and how many of them continued with those jobs."
"Government must discuss this issue not only during elections but also later. There is no point in discussing it only during the elections. Unemployment rate in Goa is one of the highest in the country. Opposition or ruling, they should not discuss the issue only during the election time but it should be their main focus area throughout the year," Bhagat said.
Former Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) president John Nazareth said that unlike in the past, the vacant posts are now not filled on regular basis but they are being filled on contract basis.
"Even outsourcing is being done. Even the contract workers are not giving due salary and other benefits to them. Many of the posts are vacant and educated youth are not getting employment. On the contrary extension in-service is being given to retiring government employees. It is not proper. There is complete mismanagement," Nazerath said.
"The government has failed on this front totally. Earlier there were employees as much as required but now recruitments are being done on contract basis on a large scale. In government aided schools, clerks as well as teachers are being recruited on contract basis," he said.
