Many youths are becoming victims of drugs and other illicit substances due to lack of opportunity to earn income and this could be corrected by imparting skills of self-reliance in various aspects, said MLA Ram Muivah.
The MLA was speaking as chief guest during the inaugural ceremony of the cane and bamboo training cum production centre located at VVD complex, Hungpung, Ukhrul district on Saturday.
Muivah said Manipur has many talented youths however, due to lack of guidance and lack of infrastructures to explore their talents, most of them became victims of drugs and other illicit substances.
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He said the cane and bamboo training cum production centre will give a direction to the youths to explore their talents and skill and will also promote the skill development in the state.
Apart from working on bamboo and cane, the youths, not only in Manipur but also in the entire Northeast India, can also explore their skills in various ways, including weaving or other creative works, the MLA added.
Muivah said the youths of Ukhrul are manufacturing Tangkhul shawl and other garments only with woollen fabric. However, to promote the traditional attire of Tangkhul, the traditional attire could be manufactured with silk and other fabric, he suggested.
As part of the programme, Muivah inaugurated the centre in presence of managing director, North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council, professor Shailendra Chaudhari and advisor (banking, industries and Tourism), North Eastern Council, Ministry of Donor, Shillong and other headmen of Ukhrul.
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The cost of the project is Rs 10.30 crore, funded by North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council, under North Eastern Council, government of India.
Shailendra Chaudhari said the overall objective of the Centre is to motivate and promote the Communities, SHGS, Farmers, field functionaries, artisans and Entrepreneurs, etc. and to also provide an interactive coupling between technology, economy, environment and society for speedy development of cane and bamboo processing industries. It will also build up a sustainable base for production of value-added cane and bamboo products for domestic and export markets with a strong emphasis on clean, green and user-friendly technology with suitable marketing networks including employment generation, he said.
The project was initially conceived and conceptualized by Ram Muivah and his team of officers of North Eastern Council during his tenure as former Secretary North Eastern Council and Chairman, NECBDC (the then CBTC). He was instrumental in the approval and sanctioning of the project for Ukhrul, Manipur; he also laid the foundation of the Centre on 27th April 2017, said Shailendra.
He said the Centre has training capacity of 30 persons per batch with facilities like Cane and Bamboo Workshop with advanced tools and machineries, 30-bedded hostel for trainees, Vacuum-Pressure Impregnation technique-based Treatment Plant for Bamboo and Cane and also a Guest house building along with other training facilities. Volunteers for Village Development (VVD), of Hungpung, Ukhrul District shall be in collaboration with NECBDC for managing the Centre, Shailendra informed.
