IMPHAL, March 5: The government is trying its best to open up employment avenues for the educated unemployed youths, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said today while acknowledging that of all the issues confronting the State including the law and order situation, the issue that is quite a headache for the government is the unemployment issue.
The Chief Minister was speaking at launch function of a Block level Handloom cluster and Mega Awareness Programme held at the Basu Ground, Khangabok in Thoubal district.
Today’s function was organised by the Commerce and Industries department, Government of Manipur under the National Handloom and Skill Development programme as part of the Integrated Skill Development Scheme under the Ministry of Textiles.
Addressing the function, the Chief Minister said it is impossible to provide government jobs to each and every educated youth.
Even in the developed European countries, their governments cannot provide cent percent government jobs to their youths, he added.
However, since they have many industrialists and private entrepreneurs, the problem of unemployment is not much, he said, observing that fortunately, today, Manipur is also witnessing the rise of many entrepreneurs which are providing employment to the youth, which is a laudable feat.
He said for such a small State, around 8 lakh educated youths are registered in the employment exchange.
Considering this, the government, despite of the lack of funds, has already started concentrating on job oriented schemes which will help the youth in self-employment, he said.
He also observed that the government has also taken up steps to provide trainings and suitable tools to educated youth and provide avenues for them to earn.
The Chief Minister, while observing that sports and culture help in giving Manipur its identity before the world, also said that the hand woven clothes of the land also help in identifying Manipur.
In India’s handloom census, Manipur occupies the third spot, he said and further added that it is all possible due to the efforts of the women involved in weaving clothes.
He further said like Bangladesh continues to earn much income from its textile industries, we should also promote our hand woven clothes which will not only help in earning income but also in giving jobs to the people and help the government meet the unemployment issue.
Ibobi said considering the supply of essential items to the people, the government is also trying its best in developing the necessary infrastructures.
The government is trying to provide 24×7 electricity supply in all district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters in both the hill and valley districts.
In the power sector, Manipur tops the North Eastern States in development of infrastructures, whereas in the Health sector Manipur has topped the country for three consecutive years earning Rs 350 crores each time, he said.
Ibobi also said that Manipur was adjudged fourth position in the country in the construction of roads under the PMGSY. He said Imphal was recently adjudged the 15th cleanliest cities from among 300 cities.
All these achievements were not declared lightly, he said elaborating that during a visit to the State capital, a team of the Urban Ministry on seeing the Imphal Sewage project, Solid Waste management under construction at Lamdeng observed that all these projects are parameters of the smart city.
The Chief Minister also observed that although the State government is facing limited resources, the government is trying hard to not lag behind other States in the education, health, communication and power sectors.