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DIMAPUR — Advisor of Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu on Friday said the completion of the foothill road remains uncertain and futuristic but the government of Nagaland is committed to addressing the issues related to the project with all seriousness.
She was speaking at a seminar on ‘Industries Business and Entrepreneurship via the Foothills Road’ organised by EduCentre and supported by the ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at The Four Season Hotel in Dimapur.
Incepted in 2013, the foothill road project stretches from Peren to Mon, covering about 396 km, and often referred to as the "lifeline of Nagaland", making it an immensely crucial infrastructure development for the state, said Jakhalu.
She informed that funding for the foothill road project initially came from the Special Plan Assistance under the Planning Commission but it came to a halt after the funding ceased following the changes in policy and the dissolution of the Planning Commission.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The government of Nagaland has been diligently working to secure the necessary funds for this project and the matter is treated with utmost seriousness; extensively discussed during the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) session and the recently concluded second session of the 14th NLA, she said.
Speaking on the potential of the districts falling in the foothill area, Jakhalu said the potential is enormous as Mon district is rich in minerals, Longleng and Mokokchung serve as the agricultural belt and Peren is often referred to as the rice bowl of the state.
‘In Nagaland, there is a prevailing sense of randomness, with a lack of structured planning even in the development of cities. However, this seminar should serve as an initial step toward formulating more robust policy recommendations and it is imperative to prepare for the eventual existence of the foothill road in the future,’ she said.
The legislator also encouraged the youth to grab the opportunities at their disposal and be a part of the planning process for the future as they will inherit it.
Maintaining that efforts were being made to educate the youth about the fundamentals of business, she said the seminar was an opportunity to support young people in venturing into the MSME sector.
The advisor latter said at a press conference that the state government is actively engaged in examining and renegotiating potential solutions that would be most beneficial for the region, when asked about the disputed area linked to the foothill road project and the regions under consideration for oil exploration.
Describing it as one of the most challenging projects for the state, she said the completion deadline was extended due to numerous issues and that it is important for the public to realise that the funding for this project is not within the direct control of the state government.
She added that the recent meeting between the state chief minister and the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, had infused hope of getting financial support for the foothills road project.
Lamenting that unverified allegations are causing fractures within the Naga society and social media invading their lives, the advisor said many issues begin with baseless allegations without proper verification, while urging the public to exercise caution and verify facts before levelling accusations.
‘Everyone should contribute’
Also speaking at the seminar, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Transport, M Ababe Ezung, said people of Nagaland want development activities but nobody wants to pay or contribute, citing the state’s only airport not developing due to want of land.
For every development, everyone should be involved and not just the government, he said, adding with the right investment and support from the people, every district will benefit from the foothill road project.
“Foothill road may be touching only 7 to 8 districts but we need to put in our head to contribute as these roads will be enough to provide job opportunities,” he said while reminding the gathering that funding will be an issue. He went on to say that state policy should not be copy pasted but drafted in accordance with the feasibility for the state.
‘Money can’t hand out randomly’
While asserting that there are many schemes for the right people, panelist of the seminar, Kvulo Lorin, Chairman of Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation, said that people have been complaining about nepotism and corruption in distribution of schemes but that the paperworks submitted by the applicants are also “terrible”.
‘There should be individual responsibility and the government cannot hand out money randomly. The paper works should match the reality,’ he pointed out while urging the people to look beyond the state market for a business to flourish.
Speaking on the lackadaisical practice of Naga entrepreneurs, Additional Commissioner of GST, Sashi Wapang Lanu, opined that Naga business people don’t think of value addition which is why they can’t expand beyond the state.
“As an entrepreneur, you need to add value to your goods. Focus on value addition to reach out to markets beyond Nagaland,” he told the gathering.
Earlier in the programme, Joint Director of MSME, Tali Longchar said in his keynote address that the MSME is the second largest employment generator in the country and accounts for over 30% of Nation’s GDP.
While lamenting the unemployment issue in the state, he suggested the government to formulate an industry policy as per the needs of the local resource and encourage local resource-based enterprises.