Government targets 7.5 lakh jobs in 5 years, eyes investors
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 26 2017: In line with BJP's announcement in the run up to the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election that each household would be provided a job, the BJP-led coalition Government has started chalking out a plan to provide jobs to 7.5 lakh people by 2022 .

The State Government has formulated the 'State Mission on Employment, Housing and Drinking Water for Each Household' with a view to alleviate economic status of each household and expedite economic growth of the State .

The mission's executive council headed by the Chief Secretary as chairman has already held its second meeting .

After due responsibilities and duties have been divided among different departments in order to accomplish the mission, necessary paper works have been already initiated .

The agenda of ensuring a job to each and every household by 2022 was deliberated at length during a Cabinet meeting held on May 3 this year.

The meeting also discussed about translating the mission into action.

The State Cabinet gave its consent to formation of executive council headed by the Chief Secretary as chairman, district executive councils headed by DCs as chairman and cluster level monitoring committees headed by MLAs as chairman for successful implementation of the mission .

The mission has set a target of generating 1.5 lakh jobs which would accumulate to 7.5 lakh jobs in five years by 2022 .

For translating the mission into action, the State Government selected 17 departments and they have started formulating their own action plans, informed a source .

Out of the 17 departments, 10 departments have finalised and submitted their actions plans to the Government.

However, the remaining seven departments namely; Social Welfare, Transport, Sericulture, School Education, Tribal Affairs and Hills, Health and Family Welfare and Information Technology are still unable to submit their action plans .

Labour and Employment Department has been instructed to verify and submit a report by October 31 on the exact number people who have been working in Government and private sectors .

There are monthly reports at Labour and Employment Department about the total number of people seeking jobs.

But there is no clear data about the number of people who have got jobs after they were registered in employment exchanges.

As such, the task entrusted to Labour and Employment Department would not be easy .

Once the necessary data is furnished by Labour and Employment Department, the same would be digitized in consultation with Information Technology Department .

According to the mission, one would be assumed as employed if he/she can earn at least Rs one lakh in a year from his or her profession/vocation, conveyed the source .

Agriculture Department alone has set a target of generating 62,000 jobs within five years under the same mission.

In order to achieve this target, the department is set to introduce modern machinery and scientific agricultural methods .

In addition to identifying all the cultivable areas of the State through GIS mapping with the help of Manipur Remote Sensing and Applied Communication, the department has geared up to exploit uncultivated areas and fallow lands for economically productive areas .

Forest Department too has set a target of generating 10,000 jobs every year.

Intensive afforestation programme, cultivation and processing of medicinal plants, installation of Agor-based extraction units, extensive cultivation of bamboo and enhancement of minor forest produces are some activities envisaged by Forest Department under it action plan .

However, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department has reduced its employment generation target from 10,000 to 5000 jobs every year .

Bringing well established companies/investors including Patanjali and letting them open manufacturing/processing units in the State is one major element of the department's action plan.

As per the action plan, manufacturing/processing units opened by the investors would process horticultural crops and spices produced in the State and this would generate jobs for many people .

Even as Tourism Department's action plan aims at creating 3000 jobs every year, the department has been asked to review it as the figure is not compatible with the overall target .

Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) has set its focus on extracting maximum benefits out of the Urban Livelihood Mission and other Central sponsored schemes.

The department has also set a target of generating 5000 jobs every year .

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has formulated a plan to generate jobs from National Rural Livelihood Mission, Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Gramin Kausal Yojana etc.

It also envisages additional investments from banks to self help groups .

Even though the mission and its objectives are quite noble and ambitious, it would require a huge investment and it would take considerable time.

With the State Government yet to make any estimate about exact fund requirement, the mission is a big challenge, added the source.

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