Over one lakh youth in Goa jobless, claims Cong leader

PANJIM: Stating that over one lakh youth in the State are unemployed, Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro on Sunday said that his party will support any move of the State government to come out with the scheme providing financial assistance to unemployed youth.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of Goa Revolution Day, Faleiro quoted data from both the Employment Exchanges – Panjim and Margao – and claimed that there are 1.22 lakh youth, who are unemployed and waiting for gainful employment.

The former chief minister said that in Panjim a total 77,595 including 33,579 women are registered while in Margao 44,411 including 22,140 girls are registered with the employment exchange.

“BJP had announced that they would be floating unemployment allowance for the youth but has failed to do so. The youth are talented and educated lot and they should be brought under unemployment scheme till they get the jobs,” said Faleiro.

“If government is implementing the bill providing unemployment allowance, we are ready to support them on the floor the House,” he said conceding that the financial situation of the State government is grim.

Faleiro said that he has already submitted Goa Unemployment Allowance and Self Employment Scheme Bill 2018 to the Goa legislature. According to this bill, each unemployed youth can be given a minimum amount of Rs 10,000 per month by enacting the legislation.

The Congress leader said, “The unemployment situation in Goa is indeed extremely exasperating. The situation is one of the serious concerns and has to be tackled with well thought out policy measures and interventions.” 

Faleiro said that besides the number of youth registered with Employment Exchange, there will be large number of unemployed who have not registered with them.

He said that the highest number of educated unemployed is amongst graduates at 41,906 with girls accounting for 28,143 unemployed and boys accounting for 13,763 unemployed.

The next highest section of educated unemployed comes from amongst SSC pass students with a total of 30,911, while the total unemployed who have not passed SSC are 22,468.

“The situation therefore is of serious concern. This is not political statement aimed at gathering political mileage. It is a problem concerning the Goa’s youth and their welfare. Irrespective of party lines one has to come out and support the cause of unemployed youth,” he added.