DONER stresses Action Plan for successful implementation
Chizokho Vero
Kohima | January 30
THE COMMITMENT of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to create 25,000 job opportunities in 2003 as well as for empowerment of women of Nagaland, which seemed to be a far-fetched dream, is seemingly to become a reality soon with the government taking remarkable steps through a two day workshop beginning today at the ATI Hall, Kohima.
“Today’s workshop has given us some hope that something concrete is going to finally emerge,” said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in his inaugural speech at the “Workshop on generating 25,000 employment opportunities and Empowerment of Women.”
On the other hand, Rio expressed his dismay on the slow speed of implementation of the Prime Minister’s package for creation of 25,000 job opportunities in the state.
“Beyond exchange of correspondence between the state and DONER, nothing concrete in terms of action plans for the generation of 25,000 employment opportunities and empowerment of women materialized even after a lapse of two years and three months of the announcement of the commitment by the former Prime Minister of India,” Rio regretted.
Department of North East Region (DoNER) secretary Gauri Chatterjee stressed the need to have a concrete action plan to implement the PM’s job package and further assured that DONER will always be there to play the role of facilitator.
Advocating that proper attention should be given for the successful utilization, Chatterjee hoped that the workshop would give birth to some positive results.
Chief Secretary P. Talitemjen also stressed the need to give right support at the right area and the right time.
Development Commissioner Lalhuma hoped that the workshop would ‘bear fruit’ and benefit the unemployed youth while expressing opinion that women of Nagaland would gain more employment opportunities.
Till September 2005, the total number of applicants in the live register of employment exchanges in the state is 44, 960. The government expressed its inability to provide employment to the majority of these young people who are in search of jobs for gainful employment.
Hoping that the PM’s package for creation of 25,000 job opportunities will materialize, the state government declared the years 2004 and 2005 as the years of Youth Empowerment where various activities for the youth took place.
Under various capacity building programmes, with assistance from North East Council, 790 youths were sent for training in the service Industries during the last two years out of which 740 candidates received job placements in the private sectors, both in India and abroad.
Under the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund for employment generation, more than 1000 youths were assisted in starting self- employment activities during the current year alone. Further, 2800 youths have been selected for such assistance under PMRY during 2005-06. Currently, 65 graduates are undergoing Post Graduate courses in the service industry, another group of 100 graduate and post graduates are being trained in E-Education and very recently, sanctions were received from DONER to depute 25 youths for air hostess training at Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostesses at Bangalore.
During the last two years more than 1000 youth have been recruited in the Defence and Central Para Military forces.
“But these efforts amount to only scratching the surface of the iceberg of unemployment. Hence, we are anxiously waiting to see the fulfillment of the PM’s packages and hoped that this workshop will prove to be the harbinger of much awaited employment generation for our youth,” Rio said.
It may be recalled that on November 12, 2003, the Prime Minister’s office advised Secretary, DONER to set up a Task force and prepare an Action Plan for creating 25,000 employment opportunities within a period of two months. The Action Plan was to specify the year wise target of employment generation as well as sectors for employment and regional fund from the state/central plans as well as from financial institutions.
The Ministry of DONER accordingly constituted the Task Force on December 9, 2004 with the Secretary DONERS as chairperson. The state government, has in September 2004, also submitted its comments on the Draft Paper of the Task Force along with detailed proposals covering several sectors for the creation of 25,000 jobs etc.
