Team Goemkarponn
CUNCOLIM: Nearly a decade after the establishment of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa campus at Cuncolim, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai has demanded an employment audit to examine the extent of job opportunities extended to local residents at the institute.
The minister recalled that BJP leaders, including former Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik, had earlier engaged with local communities and assured them that the project would bring benefits in both education and employment for Goans.
Speaking during a visit to Cuncolim on Wednesday, Phal Dessai said he would seek a detailed review of recruitment practices at the campus, alleging that in certain cases local candidates were not selected despite meeting merit criteria. He also claimed that earlier government intervention was required to ensure preference for Goans in some positions.
He said that central autonomous institutions such as NIT Goa and ONGC must give due priority to local youth, considering that the State had contributed land and other resources for their establishment.
The minister further stated that complaints had been received regarding recruitment practices, including allegations about appointments of relatives of officials, and said these concerns should be verified through an independent audit process.
Phal Dessai said he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and stressed that local youth should not face discrimination in institutions operating in the State.
He added that the people of Cuncolim had supported the establishment of NIT with expectations of meaningful employment opportunities and said those assurances must be respected.
The minister also questioned the broader benefits of such institutions if adequate job opportunities are not made available to Goans, stating that local participation in the workforce should be strengthened.
