‘Nagaland has highest non-local work force’

DIMAPUR, Aug 29 – Nagaland has the highest non-local work force with 4,099 persons engaged in construction activities with a total earning of Rs 22 crore and annual per capita earning of Rs 53,402.

Stating these findings from an evaluation study on ‘Employment Opportunities Forgone by Nagas and Employment of Non-Nagas in the State’, which was carried out by the Evaluation department in the year 2007, Nagaland Minister for Higher Education and Urban Development Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu lamented that work culture is slowly disappearing from among the Nagas whereas our parents were hard working people who were self-sufficient even without education.

The Minister was addressing the 15th Biennial General Conference of All Nagaland College Students Union at St Joseph’s College Jakhama yesterday where he strongly stressed the need to inculcate work culture among the young work force in the State.

He said the report, which covered different aspects of employable opportunities in the three Municipal Council towns of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, indicate that the loading and unloading sector alone has 4,012 persons earning Rs 33 crore with an annual per capita income of Rs 82,192. He further pointed out that pan/gumti shops and its ancilary activities provide employment to 12,780 non-Nagas earning an annual income of Rs 24 crore.

While stating that he did not mean to say that students should engage in loading/unloading sector or run pan shops after getting their education, Shurhozelie, however, impressed that ‘change of curriculum and such other methodology in education system alone may not be able to change the whole scenario that we have today’.

He also expressed concern that because of the high rate of output from colleges and universities and non-availibility of employment opportunities, the gravity of unemployment issue is increasing every year while also pointing out that Nagaland neither has any government owned/private industry nor private sector players for investment in the State which can offer employment opportunities to the people.