Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Sep 24: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has urged the state's youth to look beyond conventional government jobs and explore emerging opportunities in sectors such as disaster management, waste management, healthcare and veterinary services.

Addressing students at the launch of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan on Wednesday, Sawant said several such opportunities were increasingly being taken up by people from outside Goa. He cited the example of disaster management, saying that when the government advertised a post in the field, no Goan applied and a candidate from Kashmir with a diploma in disaster management was appointed at a salary of around Rs 1.5 lakh a month.

Sawant said similar opportunities were emerging in waste management, with diploma courses already being offered at Saligao. He said Goa spends around Rs 500 crore annually on waste management and urged local youth to explore professional opportunities in the sector.

Healthcare, he said, was another area with growing potential, particularly in affordable and preventive healthcare, mental well-being, elderly care, accessibility and community healthcare. Sawant said there was demand for such services in Goa, including old-age homes and community healthcare facilities.

He also highlighted opportunities in veterinary healthcare. Recalling his recent experience at a private veterinary facility where his dog was treated, Sawant said the facility had several dogs admitted, including some in intensive care. He said the facility's owner was from Nanded in Maharashtra and was not a veterinary doctor but operated the clinic in collaboration with veterinary doctors. Sawant said he had paid around Rs 1.5 lakh for three to four days of treatment for his dog.

He urged Goan veterinary graduates to consider starting similar ventures, pointing to the demand for specialised veterinary services in the state.

Speaking about educational assistance, Sawant said more than 33,000 applications were received under the Chief Minister's Scholarship Scheme last year. He said the applications were processed within two months and financial assistance was directly credited to beneficiaries' bank accounts.

Boot camps based on seven key themes are also being conducted across more than 70 colleges as part of initiatives linked to the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047' and 'Viksit Goa 2037'.

The event also witnessed the unveiling of the Goa Online AI WhatsApp Chatbot, aimed at facilitating access to government services through WhatsApp, and the Ayurhackathon to promote technology-driven solutions and innovation in Ayurveda and allied fields.