Goemkarponn desk
PORVORIM: The House witnessed an uproar over the State government’s submission that it has no data on the number of Goans employed in the private sector.
The opposition MLAs questioned how can the government have no data. That means the government has no control over private sector employment.
“There is no provision to monitor the employment generation by the industries, which are granted permission to set up here,” they said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the state legislative assembly that the government will amend the Employment Exchange Act 1959 to ensure jobs for Goans in the private sector.
“Govt plans to amend the Employment Exchanges Act, 1959 wherein industries with over 10 workers to notify the dept, industries to be taken into confidence. Goan candidates will be sponsored for these vacancies,” said Sawant.
Sawant also criticized Delhi’s career guidance model. In response to AAP MLA Venzy Viegas’ claim that Goa’s model has failed compared to Delhi’s. Sawant stated that understanding Delhi’s approach might explain why a CM could end up in jail.
Sawant said that govt is in the process of verifying the actual employment status of the 1.59 lakh persons registered with the employment exchange as unemployed, through phone calls. The actual unemployment figure will be hardly 30,000 to 35,000 he claimed.
He said the government has started the process of calling up those who have registered with the employment exchange. 54,142 said they are working with private companies, and 18,264 said they are taking up further studies.
Labour and Employment Minister Monserrate informed the assembly that the Labour Act has been amended to increase fines for companies in Goa that advertise posts outside the State, from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh, as well as imprisonment.
Babush stated that two companies were issued show-cause notices and legal action was taken against them.
“The Rs 500 fine was too lenient, which allowed companies to easily come out of it after committing the violation. We have now increased the fine to between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh, and imprisonment,” he said.
