Goemkarponn desk
PORVORIM: Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, the minister of revenue, put a dampener on all the commotion surrounding the allocation of private sector jobs to Goans, claiming that the State’s Employment Exchange lacks legal standing.
Such reservations are deemed to be unconstitutional, according to Monserate, citing a Punjab and Haryana High Court decision. The statement was made in the Goa legislative assembly by Monserrate, who also holds the portfolio of Labour and Employment, in response to a discussion on grant requests related to the departments he oversees.
Afterwards, by voice vote, the House approved these requests for the departments of Revenue, the two Collectorates, Labor, and Waste Management.
While Monserrate was responding, Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardesai, who had earlier brought up the subject of discrimination against locals in private industries, left, claiming that the minister had not given his concerns an unbiased response.
Additionally, Monserrate stated that 17 programs were in place to ensure the welfare of construction workers. He also mentioned that almost two lakh workers have signed up for the ESI insurance program.
Monserrate promised a final scrapyard policy for the State soon, but in the meantime, he said that Collectors have taken action against scrapyards operating on agricultural land by using their authority under section 33 of the Land Revenue Code.
For the Bainguinim Waste Project, which is intended to manage the solid waste of Panaji and certain other areas of Tiswadi taluka, three bidders have been qualified in the request for proposals.
According to Monserrate, a site in Bicholim is being looked for for a waste management project, and the request for proposals for this Bainguinim plant will be released shortly.
He said that a location at Tuem in Pernem has been chosen, and the process of setting up a waste management project there will soon start.
According to Monserrate, efforts are being made to expedite the land mutation and division processes. He claimed that the Revenue Department’s services are now accessible online, which has increased efficiency and transparency.
