Opportunity deficiency victimise youths: Ram Muivah

Imphal: Due to the lack of opportunity to earn income, youths become victims of drugs and other illicit substances and this could be corrected by imparting the skills of self-reliance in various aspects.

This was said by MLA Ram Muivah during an inaugural ceremony of 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 has become victims of drugs and other illicit substances.

The cane and bamboo training cum production centre will give a direction to the youths to explore their talents and skill and will promote skill development in the Manipur, he added.

The youths not only in Manipur, but also in the entire North East India can also explore their skills in various ways including weaving or other creative works, he said.

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 attires could be manufactured with silk and other fabric.

Ram 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.

The cost of the project is Rs 10.30 crore, funded by North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council, under North Eastern Council.

Shailendra said the overall objective of the Centre is to motivate and promote the communities, SHGS, farmers, field functionaries, artisans and entrepreneurs etc and also to 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 network including employment generation, he added.

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 approval and sanction of the project for Ukhrul, Manipur and he also laid the foundation of the Centre on 27th April 2017, Shailendra said.

He said the Centre has training capacity of 30 persons per batch. The Centre has 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.