A Vision Plan for Educated Unemployed in Manipur is most Needed and most Ignored

G S Oinam *

The initiative of "NEC vision 2020" in Manipur by the Directorate of Information and Public Relation, Government of Manipur is a new beginning towards the development, understanding and progress. DIPR, Manipur, has now, offered a public forum to bridge the knowledge gaps between our resource person and common people, together to reshape Manipur.

Validated finding of short duration of 2 days discussion on vision 2020 may be published by the local media so that a public understanding and confidence building can be achieved even general masses could not attained the seminar; further, the discussion may continuously be extended for an appropriate time period in an acceptable, convincing and transparent method.

Amid petroleum price rises and drought like situations in the state and the entire nation, people welcome the first budget session of State Assembly and Union Parliament Budget session simultaneously after 15th Lok Sabha election, hopping for a common man budget.

Announcement made during the election campaign and after taking charge indicates that there will be a focus on common man- cheap food grain for consumers, investment in basic infrastructure, healthcare etc. But, one of the biggest problems faced in the state's about 6 lacs registered unemployed and about 5 lacs semi unemployed work force is that a safety net to cover loss of jobs or livelihoods still seems below the government's radar.

Unemployment is often seen as an involuntary occurrence. People lose their jobs because of events beyond their control-economic down turns, disease, disability, or in the case of women social prejudice. Sometimes people are unemployable.

But, ours (Manipur) is joblessness of Dark Age. Therefore, needs a collective remedy, a system that can help tide people or vision plan (both short term and long term prospective).

In the past two decades, Union Governments have retreated from social welfare spending, making the transition from' insurance' to 'assistance'. But industrialised countries still spend anything between 15% and 30% of their GDP on social security sector such as unemployment benefit, pension and healthcare. Yet India, one of the more advance developing countries, barely manages to spend about 1% of its GDP on social services. India has one of the world lowest levels of social welfare expenditure and even that is mostly wasted, Prof. Guy, university of Bath, Britain said.

The need for social security is greater in the developing world than developed. The developing world's concept of social security needs to be expanded-it has to include the aim of eliminating mass poverty, ill health and literacy because without this social security can not exist. In India there are additional obstacles, such as cast discrimination. In Manipur, more additional burden is the inefficiency in programme implementation, irregularities in distribution system, wastage of resource and nepotism in their implementation etc.

India has one of the weakest social security systems in the world. This, despite an estimated 90% state and central level schemes that provide various kind of social security; provident fund (not known in Manipur); pensions for elderly, widows, disabled and other vulnerable section; sickness and injury benefit ( if known by the poverty class people of Manipur?); and scholarships for the socio- economically backward.

Taken together, these schemes reach just a fraction of India's most vulnerable. Often, these schemes are used by politicians as populist sops for sections of the electorate and disclosed to general masses. Most needy of concrete unemployment benefit policy is most ignored in the state.

For India to progress, policy has to be boldly refocused on providing social security, including a safety net for when one loses one's job. Prof. Guy Standing, in an article to Times of India says "we have found in Africa that when you provide low income people with a little money without conditions, they mostly spend it in the best interest of their families and communities. They do not need to be told or led to do what state bureaucrats think is what they should do" if India is really to escape from its caste driven and Raj-affected past, it must loosen up.

Too little attention has been paid to the matter of unemployment assistance. An even bigger failure has been the provision of social security to workers, private employees in the unorganized sector.

Delivery of small amount of bank loan to a handful inexperience educated unemployed as a last option to counter the public pressure are utter nonsense but a very old fashion of naive theory. On the next day, burden of repayment of bad loan money will be mounted and then followed up by shut down of the newly start up business unable to face the irregular interruption of vicious cycle of trade- perhaps, law and order problem in the state or other else. Do you accept it?

Where is the social security of educated unemployment in the state? But a vital question remained unanswered – what happens if you lose your job / business for reasons beyond your control? What happen when your age bar is near over for job seeking?

Mr. Chief Minister, What had happened when you were defeated in the election for consecutive two terms? Please think at least once in a year. If confused, relaxed by a light physical exercise, kiss your children once in a month or enjoy to a sea beach; refresh your mind for one or two hours. Then, you will regain your energy and new idea at the moment you face the wave of ocean. Believe it, God will bless you!

Our problems are mounting and haunting; authorities are hiding and hunted. How long UPA government at the centre will shield even you can not implement the PM's projects in time? Please do something innovative long term prospective. Credit will go to your government; would your people like it?

Sorry, no public dealing, no official file process, no to notice, tender, appointment and announcement. Don't you know State Assembly session is seating? What a terrifying rules of law practicing in the state is. Are the whole of state machinery engaged or involved with during questions and answers hours of Assembly session? Where did they borrow such a rules of law? How can the UPAs Bharat Nirmal and 9 flagships scheme be implemented effectively and timely in Manipur.

State has zero shares in the central government jobs, military / Para-military job, railways, banking sectors and public sectors jobs due to poor socio- economic condition of the candidates. Though the state can not create more jobs to face the additional burden of educated unemployment for time being - state may arrange competitive training programme for central services job seeker as a short term policy under national knowledge commission and various scheme of scholarship and sponsorships programme of socio- economically weaker section; only then, young Manipuris may smile!.

State has to create at least 50,000 jobs in a year as a long term prospective or a vision plan. Find out a way? If there is a will then there is a way or pay the bills of consultant because there is no free in this world. State is needed an appropriate project proposal apart from Bharat Nirman and nine flagship schemes of UPA government. Who knows our problem if we do not rise up the matter?

Now, realising our grievances, Dr. Manmohan led UPA government is carefully monitoring the entire project sanctioned in Manipur for speedy development and proper implementation of programmes. He has advised his ministries to submit all the reports quarterly so that his promise of 100 days may be achieved. Bharat Nirman and nine flagship schemes which helping congress to win the15th Lok Sabha election. But, they are at best an unfinished agenda, is now, reformed and upgraded. People are waiting to see in 100 days to translate into real picture. How far it can be successfully translated in Manipur is depend on Shri O. Ibobi's ministry but the UPA will leave no stone unturned to attain of mission successful.

Bharat Nirman: Infra-structural development programme on six sectors in rural areas: road, drinking water, irrigation, houses, telephone and electricity. Rural housing schemes like Indira Awaj Yojana (IAY) for below poverty line can be mention. Will a real Nirman in Manipur?

Nine flagship schemes:

1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Ministry of Human Resource scheme for 100 % children schooling programme. Over Rs.60, 000 crores has been spent on SSA from 2001 to 2008.However, 50% of the enrolled children drop out by class 8, especially SC/ST. The target of universal retention (no dropouts) by 2010 remains a pipedream. Under new policy, construction works of school will no longer engaged with private contractors.
2. Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS): Ministry of Human Resource scheme for food supplement to children under weight due to poverty, the provision of hot , cook meals at schools has been a spectacularly programme since 2001.The scheme is also a key factor behind rocketing growth in enrollment in the primary sections. It was extended to classes' 6 to 8 last year, 2008. Huge investments are required every year, but the immense benefit provided makes it worth the while. Are the food supplement provided sufficiently to the children under MDMS guideline in Manipur? Rs.33,000 crores has been spent on implementing the programme (2001-2008 all India )
3. National Rural Health Mission (NRHM): Ministry of health & family welfare scheme for rural healthcare delivery system covering entire rural population. A key element is the accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), roughly one for each village. In 4 years, nearly 6.47 lac ASHAs have been appointed. But only about 40% have been trained to level 2, while only 1 % has completed all 5 levels. Drug kits have been given to only 64%. Infrastructure has been build up and facilities are improving, but trained staff are still lacking in large parts. Though about Rs 31,000 crores has been given by the centre in 2005-2008, states have been unable to spend about one third of this. Rural health is still a big issue and now, UPA (second) is preparing to introduce Urban Health Mission in India. How Manipur State Rural Health Mission is working?
4. Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC): Ministry of Rural Development long running program for building toilets in rural areas was reoriented and renamed TSC in 1999.Financing is shared between centre and states, with a contribution also coming from recipient's family. Over Rs 5,100 crores has been spent on construction of nearly 5.2 crores household toilets and over 10 lacs institution toilet (in schools and balwadis). But only about 56% of the target has been achieved. This is despite the TSC riding piggyback on the rural housing scheme.
5. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS): Ministry of Rural development's most successful scheme, it was launched in 2006 to provide 100days of work at minimum wages to all registered applicants (job card holder) in rural areas. NREGS has so far generated over 391 crores personday of employment. ( a personday is one person working for one day ) Over Rs 44,480 crores has been spent from 2006-09, implementation has been highly uneven across states. The share of registered households given works varies from one state to another. On average, NREGS has given 48days of work to about 50% of the 100 million registered job card holders. This is the Second UPA's most important scheme. How correctly the scheme is implemented in the state of Manipur is depend on Shri O. Ibobi's ministry.
6. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban renewable Mission (JNNURM): Ministry of Urban development's programme to expansion of basic services like road and transport, sewerage, electricity, housing etc. JNNURM was launched in 2005 to build basic infrastructure, improved governance and provide basic facilities to the urban poor in 63 cities over 7 years. Funds were come from centre, state and local bodies. JNNURM has suffered severe delays mainly because of states hesitating to change local laws fearing political backlash. Although it was supposed to provide Rs 31,500 crores for project submitted by 65 cities, center has released only about one forth of it (Rs.7, 428 crores from 2005-09).Under JNNURM, Manipur state will get buses for the improvement of urban transport system, Nambul River project etc. in which state has to contribute some share.
7. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Ministry of Women & Children Development's scheme to provide nutritional supplements, health check ups and immunization coverage to children up to the age of 6 years to reduce mortality and diseases. It also provides nutritional supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers. These services are delivered through a vast network of 12.43 lakh Angalwadi centres. Of the estimate 20 crores children in the 0-6 years age group, over 7 crores (35%) are officially benefiting from ICDS. Running since 1975, ICDS has been restructured in recent years with NGOs being given an increasing share of work. Over Rs 32,000 crores has been spent in 2001-08.Food quality has been deteriorated greatly in many centres all over India. UPA will make sure a reform to infuse more funds, compensate the workers better, and improve service quality.
8. Polio Eradication: Ministry of Health & Family welfare's long hurdling project. Pulse polio immunization programme was launched in1994 and drastically reduced polio cases by 2000, and India was on the verge of becoming polio free. But a few pockets are now showing resistance to immunization. There was a fear that, if not controlled, polio may again become rampant. Although nearly Rs 9000 crores have been spent in2005-09, confirmed cases jumped to 599 in 2008.Now, the government is thinking of going in for the injectible vaccine, used in the west. This will mean huge cost escalation, as it cost 20 times more than the oral vaccine. While the government bumbles its way through this, there has been a neglect of the routine immunization programme, which projects against many other deadly diseases. In the same period, routine immunization has got just Rs. 5,000 crores, covering just 44% of the children.
9. Drinking water:- Drinking water supply is one of the six components of Bharat Nirmal. Ministry of Water Resources, Urban Development Ministry and Rural Development Ministry are taking equal responsibility to provide adequate drinking water facilities to all over India. National drinking water Mission (NDWN) was launched in 1986, which subsequently was rechristened as Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water mission (RGNDWM ).To achieved the objectives, Accelerated Rural water Supply Programme(ARWAP ) is being implemented to resolve the drinking water problem in rural habitations with a population of 100 and above, specially the un reached ones, ensure sustainability of the systems and resources, tackle the problem of water quality and institutionalize water quality monitoring and surveillance through a catchments Area Approach. Sector reform projects were sanctioned in 67 districts on pilot basis. With the experience gained from these pilot projects, reform process has been scaled up in the entire country through Swajaldhara launched on 26 December 2002. A notable feature of Swajaldhar is involvement of Village water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in planning, implementation, operation, maintenance and Sajal Gram Puraskar (an incentive fund that rewards local government and communities that achieve sustainable rural water supply) Another initiative taken by the government is that from 2007 onwards focused funding to tackle drinking water has been started. Under this scheme 479, 898 villages have been achieved out of 603639 target villages. Achievement is 80%.Government has spent Rs 20, 588 crores so far.