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SEZs are necessary in state to generate jobs, says Rane

NT Staff Reporter

Panaji, Feb 19 The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsingh Rane today said that Special Economic Zones were necessary in the state to generate employment to the educated youth of Goa and stop their “migration” to other states.


Addressing reporters after the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said that if the SEZs, particularly in the information technology sector were set up in the state the flight of educated youth would stop as they would be able to get the same high salaries here and stay at home. “They would not go outside if we have SEZs in Goa,” he said further.

Mr Rane also said that young people should also use broadband connectivity being laid down by the to open BPOs in their houses. This would help them provide jobs to their family members also, he added.

The Chief Minister also said that the earlier government failed to fill in the vacancies in the government departments and that his government has been able to fill almost all the existing vacancies during its short tenure.

Responding to a question on the proposal for increasing retirement age of government servants to 60 years, he said that there should be deliberations on issue and its implications have to be thoroughly studied before any decision was taken on the matter.

The Chief Minister further denied that raising of retirement age would come in way of educated youth getting employment saying that there were many other avenues for employment.

Mr Rane, however, said that he has already hinted at the increase at raising the retirement age to 60 years in his speech on the last Liberation Day, in December 2006, and that Goa Pradesh Congress Committee had also demanded it. He also said that in central services also the retirement age was 60 years.

He said that the cabinet held pre-budget discussions. Replying to a question on the forthcoming budget session, the Chief Minister said that the session would be spread over 5-6 days. He also said that the budget would be pro-farmers, who were lagging behind in the state as well as pro-women, with an aim to lift them up in the society.

Mr Rane also said that the issue of urban poor, many of whom were migrants, would also have to be redressed. He said that the percentage of urban poor was 7.7 while that of rural poor was 4.

The Chief Minister also said that the government was yet to receive the report of the magisterial inquiry into the Sanvordem riots. He further said that the inquiry panel was given extension by the government.

Earlier, Mr Rane said that cabinet cleared creation of some posts in various government departments. It also gave approval to grant extension in service to some government servants beyond the age of retirement.

Meanwhile, the sources in the government said that the issue to granting the demands of the nurses was also discussed and that the cabinet approved a proposal to hike the allowances to be paid to the nurses in the government-run hospitals.