KOHIMA — Nagaland is facing a critical employment challenge, with a total of 71,322 job seekers registered as of March 31, 2024, revealed I Meyionen Jamir, the State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).
He shared this concerning statistic during the inauguration of Nagaland Power Solutions and Machineries, the authorised dealer of Honda India Power Products Ltd. in Kohima on Wednesday.
Highlighting the limited job opportunities in government sector, the CIC pointed out that the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) recommended only 347 candidates in 2022 and 292 in 2023, averaging just over 300 recruitments annually.
Similarly, the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) recommended 587 candidates in 2022, including backlog vacancies, and 295 in 2023, again averaging approximately 300 positions filled per year.
This means that only 600-700 government jobs are available annually against a pool of over 71,000 unemployed youth, a number that continues to grow each year, he said.
Another concern, he noted was that the state's 2024-25 non-plan budget allocates 90.69% towards salaries, pensions, and debt servicing.
In this connection, he said that the government is not in a position to generate jobs for all unemployed youth and new posts would only be created in exceptional circumstances.
Against this backdrop, Meyionen expressed optimism about the launch of Nagaland Power Solutions and Machineries.
Congratulating the dealer, Imsujungla Jamir, and her husband Tiasunep, for bringing a renowned company like Honda to Kohima, he lauded Tiasunep’s vast experience and reputation in the business community, calling him a ‘genuine and trustworthy’ entrepreneur who is an inspiration to educated youth seeking opportunities beyond government jobs.
Meyionen expressed hope that Tiasunep would inspire others to explore entrepreneurship and wished the new venture great success.
Meanwhile, Pranmoy Bordoloi, Chief Manager of Honda, expressed delight over the expansion of Honda India Power Products Ltd. into Nagaland with the inauguration of the new dealership. He expressed hope that their wide range of products, including generators, agricultural machinery, and power backup solutions, would benefit the people of Kohima.
Rupam Ojah, Deputy Manager of Honda, presented the company's diverse product line, highlighting that Nagaland Power Solutions and Machineries is the first local dealer in the state.
The programme was led by Zulutila and vote of thanks was proposed by General Manager Tiasunep Ozükum.