One in 14 Goans without jobs but...(Herald)

October 21, 2013 No takers for flagship employment scheme TEAM HERALD PANJIM: Even as the official figures show that one in every 14 Goans is unemployed, putting the total number of jobless at about 1, 13,277 as on January 31, 2013, the state government finds no takers for its flagship scheme ‘One job per family’, even after over three decades of its implementation. The scheme, launched as far back as in 1980, has seen no persons coming forth to register under it. The scheme provides preferential treatment to candidates enrolled under the scheme in sponsoring their names through the Employment Exchange. The information was provided by Minister for Labour and Employment Avertano Furtado to the state legislative assembly to a question tabled by Congress legislator Chandrakant Kavlekar. There is also no provision for any reservation of jobs under the said scheme. Citing one of the reasons for non approach to the scheme, the minister said since the year 1998 vacancies were advertised through newspapers wherein the opportunity is given to all candidates who are eligible to apply for the posts. Despite Goans mostly preferring ‘white collar’ jobs, it is surprising to see no takers for the scheme, which ensures one government job to one family. As per allegations, one has to shell out lakhs of rupees to get a government job, in the current scenario. The government’s Employment Exchange cuts a sorry figure with 69,296 unemployed registered in the north Goa Employment Exchange - situated in Panjim, and the rest registered in south Goa district. Gender-wise, male and females constitute 50:50 of the total unemployed. However, there are overwhelmingly more females unemployed in north Goa as compared to males, while in the south it is the converse. The north Goa Employment Exchange has registered 44,648 unemployed females and 24,648 males. In south Goa, more males (31,991) are unemployed compared to females (11,990). As per the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, annual employment-unemployment surveys conducted by the Labour Bureau in 2011 show that Goa has the highest unemployment rate in the country -- estimated at 179 per cent i.e. 179 persons out of 1000 persons being unemployed, which is more than even large states generally seen as backward, especially Bihar. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/One-in-14-Goans-without-jobs-but/80927.html