Panaji 20 August : Goa Forward Party President and MLA Vijai Sardesai said on Saturday that the process of recruiting at Mopa airport has revealed the BJP government’s goal of “doing wrong” to the citizens of the state. “Around 5,198 people have been offered job offers at Mopa airport.
In of which , only 443 are locals, which is only 8 percent.The numbers presented in the Assembly session have revealed the BJP government’s plan of discriminating against the people of Goa,” Sardesai declared in an interview with the media here.
He stated that while those are from Pernem in North Goa, the area where Mopa airport is, are promised to provide the most jobs However, only 5 per cent of the total of 443 applicants are natives (from Pernem).
Sardesai stated that on the 30th of October 2021, then deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar stated that every family of Pernem will be given a job once Mopa airport is officially commissioned.
“Mopa airport” is the main initiative of BJP.Certain Ministers have said that Mopa airport will be a source of growth and Goans will not be forced to go out of the state in search of jobs after it is operational.But they have provided only 8 percent of the job opportunities to Goans,” Sardesai alleged.
“I had introduced the bill that is being studied by the department of law, which states that Goans should be provided with 80 percent job opportunities in the private sector.
In this flagship initiative of the BJP government, only 8 per cent of the jobs are offered to Goans.We are asking for 80 percent, and they are providing 8 percent,” he said.
He said that jobs such as fitter, welder painter, operator, supervisor driver, carpenter and a plethora of jobs in engineering and management areas in which Goans can be employed, are available to non-Goans.
“If the project does not provide advantages to locals and disadvantages Goans in any way, then in these cases, we cannot consider it a development project.” Sardesai said.
Sardesai stated that in London’s Heathrow airport, more than 8 percent Konkani speaking people (Goans) are working.”Will the BJP government offer more than this figure (Goan staff) in Goa at Mopa airport? Can it guarantee?,” he questioned.
He advised that there should be a panel of experts that will oversee development of human resources and how local residents will find jobs and how they can be trained as more than 1500 jobs are expected to be created once the airport opens.
“Employment is the main problem in Goa.The current unemployment rate is 13.7 percent,” he said.
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