Panaji, Nov 19 (IANS): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday announced start of the recruitment process soon to fill nearly 10,000 vacant government posts, doing away with the moratorium on new recruitment and tendering for new developmental projects at the end of November.

Sawant told reporters outside the Chief Minister's residence here that the moratorium put in place in March soon after the Covid-19 pandemic would be lifted on November 30.

"The office memorandum was issued in March because of Covid-19, which had weakened the financial situation of the state. We have taken a review now and the financial situation has improved considerably. The memorandum will be lifted from November 30 and from December 1, new projects will be undertaken," Sawant told reporters.

"There are around 10,000 vacancies in various departments right now. Most departments have vacant posts. Ads will be issued for recruitment to the new posts soon," Sawant said.

The announcement comes ahead of the Zilla Panchayat and Municipal polls, which had been postponed on account of the pandemic. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Goa in early 2022.