DAY-NULM: Self employment to job provider
Source: The Sangai Express / Liklaileima Arambam

Imphal, March 24 2021: 25-year-old Basanta Potshangbam is not only employing himself but giving jobs to others at his two salons at Sangaiprou.

The Grace Salon provides the 'best haircut' and has plenty of customers, many of them regular, who even wait in line to get their hair done.

Basanta is not a regular chap who cuts hair with a pair of scissors, but an entrepreneur who has the training and skills to run the business and provide employment to others.

He is reaping the full benefits of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), which aims to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.

The DAY-NULM also aims to address livelihood concerns of the urban street vendors by facilitating access to suitable spaces, institutional credit, social security and skills for accessing emerging market opportunities.

DAY-NULM: Self employment to job provider

The mission was implemented for poor households of 27 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Manipur in 2014-15 .

The mission consists of Employment through Skills Training & Placement (EST&P), a component which is designed to provide skills to the unskilled urban poor as well as upgrade their existing skills.

After receiving training on hair cutting under All Manipur Manpower Upliftment Centre at Canchipur, Basanta had received a 3-month training on "Assistant Beauty Therapy" at the JCRE Skill Solution at Thangmeiband under the EST&P .

Through this training, he was able to enhance his skills and procure equipment that meet the required standard.

Besides cutting hair, his salon provides a wide range of beauty services including hair dyeing.

School going children, teenagers and people from all walks of life now visit his salon.

Hailing from Khagempalli Pankha, Basanta was born to Rajesh Potshangbam as the youngest son of four siblings on March 12, 1996."We are a poor family and while studying, I had to work in the brick-field to support our family.

I opened my first ever salon in 2012 when the demand for ILP [Inner Line Permit System] was at the peak.

The movement for ILP at that time had a message for the youths of Manipur to embrace work culture.

The movement had encouraged unemployed youths to open hair cutting salons, which were run by outsiders mainly.

I got encouraged by the idea and opened my first salon with Ranjit from Monsangei with only a pair of scissors, a mirror and a comb in a rented shop," said Basanta.

Like Basanta, there are many others who are entrepreneurs giving jobs to others and reaping the benefits of the DAY-NULM.

Implemented in Manipur in 2014-15, there are 2,312 people who have been trained under the Employment through Skills Training & Placement (EST&P) till February 10, 2021 .

Of the total 2312 people who have been trained, 299 got job placements and about 17 are employing themselves.

The EST&P (training) is provided at 10 centres empanelled by the Manipur Urban Development Agency.

The 10 centres include--Apparel Training and Design Centre, Porompat; JCRE Skill Solutions Thangmeiband, CIPET Estate Takyel; Synapx Solutions and Consultancy Services Sagolband; Gyamajyoti Foundation KK Building Wangkhei Ayangpalli Road; RAPHA TECHS Innovating Solution for Life, Tera Khuraijam; U-fitness Centre Singjamei; Rural Pioneer Service Old UCO Bank Building Bishnupur; NESEED Foundation Moirang Bazar and Society for Health and Education.

These centres provide training on fashion designing, tailoring, tourism and hospitality, construction, beauty and wellness, retails, IT & ITCs, Life Science, food processing, electronics, textiles, handicraft, sports and media entertainment, agriculture etc.

An official of MUDA (Manipur Urban Development Agency) said interested persons may enrol for the training on the trade they like online.

They may also visit the centres in person or approach the Urban Local Bodies concerned.

The training is free and the trainees under the EST&P are also given suitable stipends for the duration of the training.

Apart from this training scheme, the DAY-NULM also consists of the Social Mobilisation and Institution Development (SM&ID), under which Self Help Groups (SHGs) may be created to generate employment.

According to the MUDA official, there are 2694 SHGs under the SM&ID .

Each SHG has more than 10 members.

Of the total, 2332 have been provided Rs 10,000 each as revolving funds.

There are also 41 Area Level Federations and of these, 35 have been given Rs 50,000 each as revolving funds.

The State Government's Mai-Own Exhibition which was held from March 16 to 22 had also witnessed about 170 stalls of SHGs (under MAHUD).

One of the SHGs which sold products of their own at the exhibition is Chumthang Leima SHG Uripok Takhellambam Leikai.

It showcased and sold Muga Phee, Phanek Mapan Naibi, Muga Phanek etc.

The SHG was formed in 2004 under the Imphal Municipal Corporation and later got a revolving fund of Rs 10,000 under MUDA from 2015 .

The SHG has also got Rs 70,000 as loan.

The SHG has also showcased and sold its products at exhibitions and mela at Delhi, Jiribam etc.

It had also opened its stall during the Night Bazar at Kangla.

Its president Maibam Nena said SHG is beneficial if properly run with collective efforts.

Banks also provide loans which help expand its functions and procure equipment required.

The SHG provides employment to the members and earns them stable income, she said.

While they are leading in terms of generating employment, Basanta and others including Nena said youths must be aware of the Government schemes which provide training and skills to earn themselves sustainable income.

One shouldn't only give self job but provide employment to others, they said.

(This article was reported under Khelen Thokchom Media Fellowship) .