Overseas Employment Agency to be set up in Goa

Panaji, June 9 : Goa government has decided to set up an 'Overseas Employment Agency' soon to benefit skilled, unskilled and technical manpower, besides checking exploitation of emigrants by unscrupulous recruiting agents and foreign employers.

State Commissioner for the NRI Affairs Edurdo Faleiro told mediapersons here today that former bureaucrat K N S Nair would be appointed managing director of the agency. It would be recognised by the Union Ministry of Indian Overseas Affairs, on submission of Rs 10 lakh as bank guarantee by the State government, early next month.

The agency would establish contacts with 150 odd missions abroad, besides foreign employers, to get details of their manpower requirements from Goa, which would be met through recruitment process.

''Initially, the office would run on a 'no-profit, no-loss' basis and it would collect a nominal fee to meet the cost of processing. A database of prospective candidates, particularly of professionals like engineers, doctors, hospitality managers and IT professionals would be prepared for the purpose,'' acting Chief Secretary J K Dado said.

The government had acted following the policy decision of the Union Ministry allowing each state to open such a recruiting agency.

Kerala has already set up such an agency, he added.

Meanwhile, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development had, in a communique, delegated authentication powers to the state education department to certify educational documents issued by various academic institutions of the state after verifying their authenticity.

This, they said, would facilitate employment. In the long run, the Ministry would introduce on-line verification system through its network.

The process of recognising Goa University degrees by other countries, particularly in West Asia, has also been initiated with the national Accreditation Committee (NAC) examining the issue. A delegation of NAC is expected to visit the Goa University shortly.

Meanwhile, Indian Overseas Affairs Ministry is also examinig a proposal of the state government to open a 'Protectorate of Emigrants' in Goa, besides in Bihar, Punjab and Gujarat.

UNI