Dire Economic Situation: For the first time in the history of Liberated Goa, the State is going through the worst financial pangs. The economic meltdown has a direct bearing on the employment situation in Goa. While on the one hand employment has come to a grinding halt with industries closing down and no new industries coming up, on the other hand, those employed have been evicted from their jobs due to closure of mines, industrial sickness, retrenchment of labour etc; and the overall economic growth is negative. Infact, the very survival in Goa, has virtually become extremely difficult.
Desperate situation calls for desperate measures. So I thought that I should revisit My Employment Policy For Goa 1991, in the context of which, I had issued a Cabinet notification, wherein I had mandated; Compulsory working knowledge of Konkani and; 15 years domicile to ensure reservations of jobs for Goans in government service. 80% jobs reservations in private enterprises by mandating 15 year domicile & working knowledge of Konkani as requirements, besides other provisions to boost employment.
Why Goa has to firmly back its Unemployed youth: We as a society and the Government of Goa, have to take urgent measures to save our unemployed youth, lest they take to vices such as drugs, theft, gambling and other anti-social acts; and from taking desperate measures such as taking foreign citizenship and running away from Goa. The unemployment situation in Goa is indeed extremely exasperating and needs to be tackled with well thought out policy measures and interventions. As per the Live Register of the Employment Exchange the unemployment situation in Goa as on date, is as shown in the table 1 below:
Table 1: Unemployed in Goa (Gender & Location)
The break-up of the unemployed according to their education levels is as shown in Table 2 below:
The total number of registered unemployed in Goa stand at 1,22,006 persons which constitutes a high figure of —8.09% of the population. (Total unemployed 1,22,006 ÷ Total Population 1508556 x100). This is a sizable figure for a small state such as Goa.
Can Goa absorb the costs? Certainly. Goa is not a poor state. It is one of the richest states in India. Every child in Goa is a custodian and owner of the rich resources of the State. However, today, each Goan child carries a debt burden of at least Rs 1 lakh on its head. So “Who lives if Goa dies?” And besides degradation of the people’s wealth, unemployment is a major contributing factor, which is leading people to sell off their land and houses.
Goa Unemployment Allowance and Self Employment Scheme Bill 2018: My bill is not political statement aimed at gaining political mileage. It is an attempt to save the youth of Goa, give them self- confidence and respect. We have to back the youth to the hilt irrespective of party affiliations, since the very survival of Goa and Goans is at stake. In my Goa Unemployment Allowance and Self Employment Scheme Bill 2018, which I have submitted to the Goa Legislature, I propose that in the short term, each unemployed youth can be given a minimum amount of Rs 10000 dole per month, by enacting a legislation, such as the Goa Unemployment Allowance and Self Employment Bill. Stipulating certain terms and conditions, the Bill makes provisions for payment of such allowance for a minimum period of four years.
In the long term, the youth have the liberty to apply for Self Employment Schemes under the Commissioner of Labour and Employment, either individually or by forming a partnership firm involving a group of individuals. Apart from this, the State can take up varied creative and productive revenue generating projects, based on new technologies, which can generate employment.
If the government, supports the Goa Unemployment Allowance and Self Employment Scheme Bill 2018 irrespective of political considerations, it would give hope to the youth, sustenance to their families and ensure a secure future for them. Mobilizing such a huge amount of money to pay dole to the youth will no doubt be a serious financial challenge. But Goa has the resources not only to mobilise the money for paying Rs 10000 as dole to unemployed youth but ensure substantial upgradation of its infrastructure, health, education, tourism and other infrastructure, such that Goans can upgrade their quality of life and focus on well-being and live in peace and harmony. In the near future, I will disclose how Government of Goa can mobilise the required financial resources not only to secure employment and future of our youth, but also reduce taxes substantially and still upgrade infrastructure, industries and services without financial burden to Goans.
(The author is a former Chief Minister and Labour Minister of Goa)
