Goa CM Halts Mumbai Recruitment by Local Pharma Company
Pharmaceutical companies, a crucial part of Goa manufacturing sector and a major employment provider, are under fire for conducting recruitment camps outside the state. Indoco Remedies had to cancel a recruitment camp scheduled in Boisar, a Mumbai suburb, citing unavoidable circumstances and intervention by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. In a letter to CM Sawant on May 22, Indoco Remedies, which operates a plant in Goa’s Verna Industrial Estate and planned walk-in interviews in Boisar on May 24, attributed the cancellation to “unavoidable circumstances and your personal intervention.”
Encube Ethicals also faced criticism for organizing a walk-in interview drive in Pune. Opposition parties in the state accused these companies of deliberately avoiding the hiring of Goans, calling it an “affront to Goa.” Goa Forward’s Vijai Sardesai led the charge, accusing the government of failing to ensure that local candidates are prioritized by Goa-based pharmaceutical companies. Sardesai argued that holding interviews outside Goa is a deliberate attempt to bypass hiring locals, particularly when Goa’s unemployment rate exceeds the national average. He urged the CM to intervene and support Goans who are struggling to find employment, questioning the value of having industries in the state if locals are not benefitting.
The Congress party and the Revolutionary Goans joined in the criticism. Congress’ Sunil Kawthankar demanded an audit of the proportion of Goan employees in all pharma industries across the state and called for an 80% job reservation for Goans. Despite the public outcry, Encube Ethicals proceeded with their recruitment camp.
Sardesai stressed that the actions of these companies highlight the state government’s indifference towards local job seekers and its lenient attitude towards these companies. He called for regulations or policies to protect local job opportunities. The issue of job reservations for locals has long been a political topic in the state. In January, Sardesai announced plans to introduce a Private Members’ Bill to reserve 80% of private sector jobs for locals.
However, state industries minister Mauvin Godinho deemed this move impractical. Instead, he suggested linking local employment to incentives, proposing that only industries employing locals be eligible for government concessions.
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