‘Significant brain drain, exodus from Goa’: MLA seeks job quota to prioritise ‘sons of soil’

In a letter to the secretary of the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, said, “I hereby give notice to move a motion for introduction of bill ‘The Goa State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2024’ in this session.”

GOEMKARS COME FIRST. NO NEGOTIATION. NO COMPROMISE. It’s the stated objective of our party, and the essence of our existence, to put #Goemkars first in all job opportunities that come up in #Goa. I’ve been extremely vocal on this, and have brought this up at every turn.… pic.twitter.com/I4kAL72RlP

— Vijai Sardesai (@VijaiSardesai) January 23, 2024

Sardesai told The Indian Express, “In Goa, the sentiment is that local youths are not being absorbed in private jobs and industries. There is a significant ‘brain drain’ and exodus from the state. A large number of educated youth are forced to migrate to other countries in search of employment opportunities. Goa ranks high on unemployment indexes and statistics. In this scenario, it is pertinent that legislation is brought in to ensure that the interests of ‘sons of the soil’ in Goa are prioritised and this marginalisation of local Goan youths in terms of employment opportunities ends.”

In 2022, Sardesai had moved a private members’ bill for reservation of jobs in the private sector for local residents of the state.

“At the time, the bill was sent to the law department for vetting and subsequently, it was allowed to lapse. This is a peculiar and common tactic of the government. I will now re-introduce the bill. We can take the example of Haryana, where the government passed a law reserving 75 percent in private jobs to residents of their state. In Haryana, the BJP is in power with an alliance partner…If it is possible to do it there (in Haryana), it is possible in Goa as well,” said Sardesai.

In November 2020, the Haryana Assembly passed The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020, which provided for 75 percent reservation for local people in private sector jobs offering a monthly salary of less than Rs 30,000 (originally Rs 50,000). In March 2021, the Haryana Governor gave assent to the Bill and the law came into effect in January 2022. The Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2023 quashed the law stating that a government cannot discriminate against individuals merely because they do not belong to a particular state.

“The government should have a concrete plan to help the youth in getting employment opportunities, rather than focusing on slogans and rhetoric,” Sardesai said.

In a post on X, Sardesai wrote, “Goemkars come first. No negotiation. No compromise. It’s the stated objective of our party, and the essence of our existence, to put Goemkars first in all job opportunities that come up in Goa. I’ve been extremely vocal on this, and have brought this up at every turn.”

Accusing the Goa government for “appalling indifference” on the issue, Sardesai said the government often had “active intervention to block Goans in their own land”.

“I’ll never back down from our demand of 80 percent jobs to Goans in private industries,…,” he wrote.