EMN
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 30
The people of Nagaland suffer from ‘backwardness in work culture’ thanks to their mindset that only government jobs were jobs at all. This statement, from a politician, was the core concern that speakers raised during a recent program on rural development. The people have been challenged to “break this mindset and become producers instead of beggars.”
An entrepreneurship development program under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) called the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Program (SVEP), has been launched in two blocks in Nagaland namely Chumukedima in Dimapur and Jakhama in Kohima.
The SVEP will be implemented in these two pilot Blocks under Dimapur and Kohima districts respectively for the initial phase.
The program is under the Ministry of Rural Development.
The program will be facilitated and monitored by the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) under the Rural Development Department, and implemented by a local business group Entrepreneurs Associates (EA). The EA is an organization of first-generation entrepreneurs. It will be the Project Implementing Agency of said program.
Launching the program at Jakhama rural development block on November 30, Monday, as chief guest, Minister for Rural Development CL John said that the SVEP was a multipurpose scheme “which is open to anyone who has the sincerity and willingness to start an enterprise.” He said that Jakhama and Chumukedima blocks have the privilege of being selected as pilot blocks. The onus is upon them to take the program further and make it a success, he said.
Referring to the “attitude of the Nagas towards businesses,” the politician said that the people of Nagaland were “still hesitant to take up enterprises and are still backward when it comes to work culture.”
Challenging the people of the two blocks to “break this mindset and become producers instead of beggars,” the politician encouraged them to start producing “enough tomatoes and potatoes to meet the demand of the entire state as the conditions are favorable for such products.”
Reminding the gathering about the central government’s aim to make the northeast region the ‘organic headquarter of India,’ CL John emphasized on the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities at hand.
Likewise, he underscored the need to ‘strengthen work culture and stop relying on outsiders for any kind of business which can instead be done by our own people.’ The time to stop depending on the government has come, the politician said, and instead, the time for the Naga people to become producers and give back to the government has come as well.
John lauded Motsuthung Lotha, Mission Director of the NSRLM and his team for bringing the program to Nagaland, the only state in the northeast region to begin the initiative. He also encouraged Entrepreneurs Associates saying that the rural development sector as a whole was “putting a lot of faith” in the nongovernmental organization.
Guest of Honor for the event, Member of Legislative Assembly Vikho-o Yhoshu, said it was a privilege to be a selected block under SVEP. It is a ‘very good program especially for the entire village people to set up businesses,’ he said. The politician hoped that the new initiative would benefit the local population and ‘would pave the way for others in time to come.’ He also released an information brochure on the SVEP published by the NSRLM.
Also, in his address, the project director of the District Rural Development Agency Kevipodi Sophie congratulated the Rural Development department and the NRLM for bringing the SVEP to Nagaland ‘from among the 8 northeast states.’ The official urged the villages to derive maximum benefit out of the program as the blocks were conducive and suitable for ‘such initiatives.’
In a short speech, Neichute Doulo, chief executive officer of Entrepreneurs’ Associates, said that that program was ‘a small initiative towards great achievements.’ He hoped that the venture would ‘spill out to the rest of the state and to other northeast states and even have a nationwide impact.’ The Naga people in general are ‘not fond of businesses,’ he said, but reminded that ‘not everyone can get into government jobs’ as well. The state employment sector is already beyond saturation point, he said. He cautioned that businesses would not thrive ‘on subsidies and therefore anyone who takes up an enterprise should be sincere and put in a lot of hard work in order to achieve success.’
Motsuthung Lotha, mission director of the NSRLM, who presided over the program, said that the program was for every citizen and was a special intervention under the NRLM. Although there are no immediate benefits, he said, people who take the program seriously and take up enterprises under the program can attain success and benefit in the long run, the official said.
The program was also launched in Chumukedima rural development block on November 28 as well. Jacob Zhimomi, parliamentary secretary for irrigation and flood control was chief guest of the event.
In his speech, Zhimomi highlighted the lack of business skills in Nagaland ‘where understanding of market is also still negligible.’ He said that the ministry of Rural Development had ‘acknowledged such challenges coupled with problem if unemployment and come up with a program like SVEP.’ Time and effort and cooperation of every stakeholder are required to make the program a success, he said.
As announced by the union finance minister in 2014 during the budget session, the SVEP has a long term vision of providing support to 1 crore village enterprises and also providing direct employment to 2 crore people.
The main objective is to help rural poor come out of poverty by helping them set up enterprises and supporting the enterprise till it stabilizes. The programmatic intervention will address the three ecosystems of knowledge, advisory and finance.
