Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said he will lead BJP’s campaign for the 2027 state assembly elections.“The election campaign started two months ago in the state, and I am leading it,” Sawant said. He added that he led BJP’s campaign in the 2022 assembly elections, when the party won 20 seats “under the blessing of PM Narendra Modi”.On employment opportunities for youth, Sawant said govt has focused on skilling, upskilling, and reskilling to create skilled human resources for the pharmaceutical and shipbuilding industries.On land conversion, he said govt would soon take measures. “The matter is sub judice, but govt will come out with some measures,” he said, adding that 80% of land conversions involve Goans who own small parcels of land.Speaking on Viksit Goa 2037, Sawant said Goa is a 100% literate state, has the highest per capita income, and has achieved 90% of the target under the PM’s 11 flagship programmes. “We are one step ahead of big and small states,” he said.Sawant also said govt has started legal and sustainable mining, which was shut down in 2012. He added that people “sitting in AC offices in Goa and Mumbai” should not lecture others about the environment and sustainable mining.On the opposition, Sawant said he has never tried to break it in the state, and that govt has never filed cases against MLAs. “They (some opposition MLAs) like Modi and that is the reason they joined BJP,” he said.
