Panaji, Mar 29 (IANS): Making Goa the top tourism destination in the country, regeneration of employment, restarting of the state's mining industry will be the key priorities of the Goa government with a vision to make the state self-sufficient, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday, shortly after chairing his first cabinet meeting.

Sawant was sworn-in as Chief Minister at a grand ceremony near Panaji, in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda and a host of central BJP leaders.

"We will give a boost to tourism to make the state the tourism capital of the country -- so we will give tourism infrastrucutre a boost be it -- hinterland tourism, medical tourism, to give a boost to all kinds of tourism with the help of the central government, we will continue our efforts," Sawant said. He also said resumption of mining, a sector which has been virtually shut down since 2018 following a Supreme Court order, is also a priority.

"Whatever we can do to encourage employment generation in the government, in the private sector wherever possible, either in the IT sector or even for those who have completed their SSC right up to graduates and post graduates, everywhere in the government, in the private sector, we will try and generate employment," Sawant also said.

The Chief Minister also said that his government would once again dovetail Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' by making Goa a self-sufficient state.

Sawant also said that the government would fulfill all the promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party in its election manifesto, including providing three free gas cylinders to homes per year.

"The BJP is here to serve the people. If we said three free cylinders, we will give three free cylinders whatever we have promised we are committed to fulfil," Sawant said.