PANAJI: After promising 300 units of free electricity to every household, Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal upped the ante by promising doles to unemployed, jobs to youth and 80% reservation for Goans in the private sector.
Unleashing a raft of poll promises on Tuesday, Kejriwal said if AAP forms the government in Goa, they would provide a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 to mining and tourism-dependent families till the sector restarts and would help provide one job to each unemployed youth per family, and till they gain employment, the state would provide a monthly dole of Rs 3,000.
Elections for the 40-member Goa assembly are expected early next year.
He also said that a ‘skills university’ would be established in Goa to train unemployed youth to make them employable.
“At present, government jobs are reserved for Goans and there is a 15-year domicile requirement,” he said.
AAP promises Rs 3k a month to unemployed Goan youth
“Private jobs are not reserved for Goans. We will bring in a law to also reserve 80% of jobs in the private sector for Goans,” he said.
“Some youth told me how the government engages outside agencies, who get people from out of Goa. There is also the fear that the same may happen in the mining sector once operations resume. That is why we will reserve these jobs for Goans,” Kejriwal said.
He said 20% of the jobs would remain open in case some specific expertise is required and a person trained in it is not available in Goa.
“We will make arrangements to provide a job to one unemployed youth from every household in Goa. Till the time the youth does not find employment, he or she will be provided assistance of Rs 3,000 per month,” Kejriwal promised.
“Because of Covid, tourism has been badly hit in Goa, and many families are finding it hard to make ends meet. Till the time the sector resumes full-fledged operations, these families will be provided an allowance of Rs 5,000,” he said.
Those dependent on mining have also lost employment due to the mining closure in Goa, and are on the verge of starvation, he said, adding that these families will also be provided Rs 5,000 per month until mining resumes.
“Many youths told me that you need to have contacts with an MLA or minister here to bag a government job. Without bribes or money, one cannot get a government job in Goa. We will stop this,” he said.
“The common youth of Goa will have a right to these jobs, without having to pay or use contacts. We will make the entire system transparent and accountable. Government jobs will be allotted on merit,” Kejriwal said.
He also said many Goans are forced to leave the state in search of work, but this can be changed. “Sectors like tourism provide infinite possibilities to generate employment if the government has the will to do it,” Kejriwal said.
“As per some statistics, 50% of the youth in Goa are unemployed, and the government here has said that it is because they do not have requisite skills. It is the government who has to give them the skills and prepare the youth for jobs.
We have started a skills university in Delhi, we will establish such a skills university in Goa. The university imparts skills to youth after Class XII and tie-ups with industry help them find employment,” he said.
