Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently issued a stern warning to industries allegedly indulging in labour exploitation, stating that strict action would be taken against violators.
He further advised industries to hire Goan contractors and provide more jobs to local youth, claiming that there are “ample job opportunities” in the state.
On paper, this may sound like a well-intentioned move to address unemployment. But in practice, it reveals a deep disconnect between political rhetoric and ground reality.
Let’s be blunt, Goa doesn’t have a job availability crisis. It has a job attitude crisis.
Private industries in Goa are struggling, not because they don’t want to employ locals, but because locals often refuse to take up private sector jobs. The prevailing mindset among a significant portion of Goan youth is worryingly skewed.
Many are simply waiting for a government job, whether or not they are qualified or suited for it. And this entitlement is often propped up by political patronage.
Take a real-world example: A young man from North Goa, hailing from the constituency of a very influential minister, was recently employed by a Goan entrepreneur. Within days, he demanded a high salary and brazenly declared he would quit the moment a government vacancy opened up, confidently citing that his “sir” (the minister) had promised him a post. What does this tell us?
It tells us that politicians, while preaching local employment, are also fuelling the culture of job dependency and government babudom. It tells us that private employers are being squeezed from both ends: they are expected to hire locals, invest crores, pay exorbitant taxes and utility bills, yet they cannot even expect loyalty or professionalism in return. And worse, when they turn to outsiders to fill the vacuum, they are vilified for “not hiring Goans.”
If the government is serious about tackling unemployment, it must first confront this elephant in the room: the Goan youth’s reluctance to take up private jobs. No economy can thrive where the majority of its educated youth are waiting endlessly for a government desk to sit behind. No industry can survive where employees come in with one foot already out the door.
Moreover, the CM’s warning on labour exploitation needs some nuance.
Yes, there are rogue players, especially among outstation contractors, who exploit workers and flout laws.
Crack down on them, absolutely. But don’t paint all industries with the same brush. Many Goan-run companies offer far better wages, working conditions, and dignity of labour than their counterparts in other states. It’s unfair and demoralising to hold them hostage to populist narratives.
This issue also ties into a larger socio-political dynamic. Politicians have, for decades, romanticised the government job as the ultimate aspiration.
Sarpanchas, MLAs, and ministers routinely promise such jobs during election campaigns, conditioning youth to reject anything else as substandard. Private sector? That’s for those who couldn’t “make it.” This perception has to change, and it won’t change unless the political class stops feeding it for votes.
The government should be promoting entrepreneurship, private skill development, and corporate job opportunities with as much enthusiasm as it does government recruitment. Instead of threatening industries, why not incentivise them to hire and train local youth? Why not run public campaigns to shift social perception about private jobs?
It’s time we call a spade a spade. Goa doesn’t need more warnings. It needs reform, starting with the mindset of its youth, the tone of its leaders, and the role of its industries.
Industries are not the enemy. They are the lifeblood of a sustainable economy. If we keep treating them as scapegoats, we risk stunting the very growth we claim to pursue.
Goa must choose: remain addicted to sarkari jobs and political handouts, or build a workforce that’s future-ready, private-sector-driven, and truly self-reliant.
Because slogans and threats won’t create jobs. Mindset and merit will.
