PANAJI
With unemployment emerging as a crucial issue and talking point in the run-up to the 2027 assembly elections, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday announced a raft of welfare measures for private sector employees at a mega job fair organised by the Labour Department at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium, where more than 150 companies offered over 5,000 vacancies.
Sawant said, his government is drafting rules to mandate fair salaries, periodic wage hikes, and regularisation of employees in industries, particularly those operating in IDC industrial estates.
“We are formulating schemes and regulations to improve the welfare of private sector workers. Several measures will be introduced within two to three months,” he told participants.
Acknowledging that many youths hesitate to take up private jobs due to lower pay and shift‘based work, Sawant said the government aims to address these concerns.
Proposed benefits include concessions on KTC and Mhaji Bus services, housing assistance, health coverage, and scholarships for employees’ children. Women workers may soon receive bus fare concessions, while those completing 20 years in service are being given a one‘time bonus of Rs 15,000.
The government also plans tie‘ups with two to three universities to facilitate skill development and educational upgradation for private sector employees, he said.
“We want to ensure Goans working in private industries have opportunities to grow and secure their futures,” Sawant said.
The fair drew registrations from over 10,000 job seekers, with vacancies spanning aviation, e‘commerce, hospitality, and other sectors.
Officials said the Employment Department’s Placement Centre has already facilitated jobs for 808 candidates, while 12 such fairs have helped more than 2,000 youths secure employment so far.
The mega job fair underscored the Sawant government's effort to bridge the gap between industry demand and local employment, while signalling a stronger push for private sector welfare in the run‘up to the 2027 polls.
