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Pramod Sawant
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said his dispensation was committed to regularising native Goans' houses built on government or community lands through various laws. The government aims to remove the fear from the minds of local people that their houses would be pulled down, he said. Addressing the state-level Independence Day function in Panaji, Sawant said various legislations moved during the recently-held assembly session would regularise the houses of Goans. "For decades, native Goans have been living in houses constructed on government land. They were always afraid of litigation resulting in demolition of their structures," he said. The government has allowed such houses to be regularised so that they are saved from the fear of demolition, he said. Similarly, there are some houses which are constructed on comunidade (community) lands that existed there for years. "We have passed a law which will help them regularise their houses by paying a certain amount as ...
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented in all schools in the state by 2028. In a written reply tabled in the state assembly, Sawant, who also holds the education portfolio, said that the policy has already been implemented at the undergraduate level at all non-technical colleges in Goa. The chief minister was responding to a question by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral. He said that the implementation of NEP is underway in a phased manner in schools and will be completed by 2028. Sawant said that for higher education, the NEP 2020 is being implemented as per the directives of the Ministry of Education, UGC, NITI Aayog and recommendations of the Chief Secretaries' Conference held at Dharamshala. He said block-level training programmes were organised for teachers, focusing on key areas that are in line with the NEP.
The Pramod Sawant government has rolled out Goa AI Mission 2027, a visionary roadmap to build an inclusive and future-ready Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, officials said. The mission, a bold leap from Goa's laid-back coastal charm to cutting-edge tech ambition, aims to empower people, enhance governance and spark innovation across sectors, placing the state firmly on the digital transformation map, they said. In a recently held meeting, Chief Minister Sawant and state Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte appealed to stakeholders to work towards drafting the AI Mission 2027, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Nearly 350 Information Technology companies and startups are operating in Goa, as per data from the IT department. Goa Information and Technology Director Kabir Shirgaonkar told PTI Videos that the state government's AI mission is derived from the Centre's ambitious India AI Mission. "We intend to meet various objectives through this mission, an
The Goa government has completed the construction of 250 houses out of the target of 254 for eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), an official said on Thursday. The project, aimed at providing affordable housing, has been implemented at a total cost of Rs 3.4 crore, the official said. Under the project, there was a target of constructing 254 houses for eligible beneficiaries in the state, said P K Shirodkar, nodal officer in-charge of the scheme and director of the District Rural Development Agency. "We have constructed 250 houses till date by meticulously following all the procedures under this scheme. The remaining four houses will be completed within the next two to three months," Shirodkar said. The Goa government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has spent Rs 3.4 crore for the project till date, he said. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a flagship scheme of the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government is
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday acknowledged a "significant manpower shortage" in industries despite employment opportunities, noting that local youths are reluctant to join the private sector over job security concerns. A meeting of representatives from various industry bodies and state government, chaired by Sawant, has decided to revise the minimum wages across industries and discussed the introduction of skilling courses. Sawant said industries are witnessing a significant manpower shortage and cited an instance wherein only two candidates turned up for interviews conducted by the Goa Pharma Association. A similar situation prevails in the shipbuilding sector, he said. "Job opportunities are available, but there is no manpower," Sawant said, adding that the meeting focused on the issues faced by industries in recruiting local youth. He said the government discussed the introduction of skilling courses and the preparation of an action plan. The chief minister not
The Goa budget has earmarked Rs 2,100 crore for the education sector and made it compulsory for students in the state to undergo internship to complete their graduation course. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday presented a revenue surplus budget in the Goa assembly, providing tax incentives for tourism entrepreneurs setting up starred hotels in rural areas and full SGST reimbursement for the first 5 years for industries investing more than Rs 5,000 crore. The budget projected GSDP at current prices for 2025-26 at Rs 1,38,624.86 crore with a growth rate of 14.27 per cent. It projected Goa's per capita income of Rs 9.69 lakh, portraying a robust and healthy economy. Sawant announced that internship will be a mandatory part of the graduation for students from the upcoming academic year (June 2025). While earmarking Rs 2,100 crore for the education sector, Sawant announced several new initiatives, including the internship which will be implemented phase-wise in different colleg
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said he has started the process of filing a defamation case against AAP leaders in Delhi and Goa for naming him and his wife in the alleged cash-for-jobs scam. Sawant said Opposition parties, especially the Aam Aadmi Party, are naming him and his wife in the scam without any reason and proof while the state police are conducting a transparent investigation. "I have started the process of filing a defamation case against AAP leaders in Delhi and Goa. My wife will file another defamation case against them," Sawant told reporters at Goa Airport. Many aspirants had lodged complaints across Goa alleging they were forced to pay lakhs to some persons who promised to facilitate jobs in the state government. "I initiated action against the accused involved in the cash-for-jobs scam. The government has given a free hand to police for free-and-fair investigation in the matter," Sawant said. He accused the Opposition of dragging him and his family
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday extended warm wishes on the feast of St Francis Xavier, saying it is an occasion of spiritual renewal and urged people to pledge to build communities of love and brotherhood. The 45-day-long decennial exposition of the scared relics of St Xavier began in Goa on November 21. A large number of people gather in Goa on December 3 every year to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the coastal state. Sawant in his message lauded the theme -- 'We are Messengers of the Good News' -- for the solemn exposition. "We are fortunate to witness this practice of the decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier. This solemn exposition held every ten years is an opportunity to introspect on the teachings of the saint and an occasion of spiritual renewal and also a time to rekindle in the hearts of the laity the desire to be the messenger of the good news," he said. The chief minister expressed hope that the decen
With the approval for a revised policy, the Goa government is eyeing a revenue of about Rs 500 crore from e-auction of unclaimed iron ore heaps lying on private lands, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday. The state government on Thursday approved the revised Goa Iron Ore Mining Dump Handling Policy, 2023, which allows it to e-auction unclaimed ore lying in the form of dumps at various private locations in the state. The iron ore mining. a major source of revenue, has been halted in the coastal state since 2012 following a Supreme Court order. The state has now begun e-auctioning of the mining blocks. The iron ore dumps, which have been lying at various locations in the state, have remained untouched since mining operations stopped in 2012. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Sawant said under the revised mining dump policy, the heaps of ore that are "unclaimed on private land without payment of the land conversion fee" will be e-auctioned by the state ...
In light of the arrests in the cash-for-government-jobs scam, Goa Congress on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarify if vacancies will be filled through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) or individual departments. Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said the party will petition Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Monday over the job scam. Goa police have arrested at least six people for allegedly cheating people with promises of government jobs. The scam was exposed following a series of cases registered at police stations. Patkar said the state government should clarify if vacancies will be filled through the staff selection commission or by individual departments. He demanded that the government issue a white paper on the availability of jobs and said vacancies must be filled through SSC to curb such scams. The Congress leader said a high-level commission should be constituted to probe the issue. He claimed t
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has termed as "historic" the Union cabinet's approval of the 'one nation, one election' proposal, and claimed that the move will be cost-effective and governance-friendly. The Union cabinet on Wednesday accepted the recommendations of a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner after a countrywide consensus-building exercise. Talking to PTI on Friday, CM Sawant said, "I welcome 'one nation, one election'. It is a historic decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has taken several historic decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370." "Frequently-held elections result in the breakdown of governance due to the model code of conduct. But holding elections pan-India at one time for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will save the nation from frequently imposed code of conduct," he said. The move is also ...
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday inaugurated the Goa University Research Park Unit (GURU) initiative under the UniGoa Knowledge and Innovation Foundation and distributed the sanction letters to teams under the Hand Holding and Start-Up Scheme 2023-24.Taking to social media platform X, Sawant informed that the GURU initiative had provided an investment of Rs 12.85 crore to establish state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to support young innovators.He further said that the initiative symbolises the knowledge and mentorship that will propel Goa's advancement in biotechnology, healthcare, information technology, and electronics innovation."I am glad to inaugurate the Goa University Research Park Unit--GURU (UniGoa Knowledge and Innovation Foundation) and distribute the sanction letters to teams under the Hand Holding & Start-Up Scheme 2023-24. The event was graced by the presence of Vice Chancellor Shri Harilal Menon, Education Secretary Shri Prasad Lolyekar, and ...
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that every police station in the coastal state shall be able to register cybercrime complaints and act upon them. The chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, made the assertion on Friday during his address at the concluding session of the Cyber Crime Investigation Training for Goa Police Personnel'. Senior police officials, including Director General of Police Alok Kumar, were present for the training session held in the capital city of Panaji. In a post on X, Sawant wrote, Attended and addressed the concluding session of the cyber crime investigation training for Goa police personnel. The CM expressed confidence that the training would enhance the knowledge and capacity of the Goa police towards cybercrime and spreading awareness. In the post, he added, Every police station shall be able to register cyber crime complaints and act upon (them).