Team Goemkarponn
Porvorim: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that his government has delivered on its promise to provide government jobs to the children of freedom fighters, asserting that 236 appointments were made during his tenure alone.
Responding to a question raised by Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar in the Assembly, Sawant acknowledged concerns that many beneficiaries are now over 50 years of age with limited years of service left. Arolkar asked whether these individuals would still be eligible for promotions and pensions.
The Chief Minister reassured the House that all remaining eligible children will be appointed by December 19 this year and will receive all entitled benefits, including pensions and promotional avenues.
Sawant highlighted that a total of 438 applications were registered under the scheme. “Of these, 373 have been given jobs—136 between 2012 and 2019, and 236 during my tenure. Just 25 remain, and they will be absorbed by December 19,” he said.
Taking a dig at previous administrations, Sawant said, “The Congress government failed to honour freedom fighters’ children by not providing them jobs. My government has corrected that.”
He, however, clarified that the scheme cannot be extended to the grandchildren of freedom fighters. “While we continue to respect the contributions of our freedom fighters, there is no provision to offer employment to the third generation,” he stated.
