Advisor of Industries and Commerce, Hekani Jakhalu encouraged the youths to engage in the future progress of the society by taking part in various activities as they have been considered as the “inheritance of the future”.
Hekani was speaking at the inaugural programme on seminar on “industry business and entrepreneurship via the foothills road” at Four Season Hotel, Dimapur on Friday. The seminar was organized by Educentre supported by SBI, NABARD, DIC, MSME and startup Nagaland.
Highlighting about the foothill project, Jakhalu pointed out that the project started in 2013, which connects Peren to Mon covering approximately 396 kilometers, and has been referred as the “Lifeline of Nagaland,” making it an immensely crucial infrastructure development for the state.
She maintained that initially, the project was funded under the “special plan assistance” from the Planning Commission, by the funding was halted as the Commission was dissolved due to policy shift.
Following which, Nagaland Foothill Coordination Committee was formed to support and exert pressure on the government to continue the project.
Despite the Nagaland government’s financial constraints, with all its seriousness the government of Nagaland under the leadership of chief minister, Neiphiu Rio was trying to ensure that the committee received funds and the issue was also taken up and discussed in the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and further discussions were held even in the recent 2nd session of the 14th NLA.
On various projects in the state, Hekani highlighted the challenges faced in building industries and expressed concerns about the lure of quick money, which led to compromise in quality of outputs. However, she was optimistic that with improved facilities and establishment of incubators, better results will take place.
Delivering keynote address, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) joint director Tali Longchar mentioned that the India MSME sector, a powerhouse of innovation and entrepreneurship, holds incredible potential, with a staggering 63 million MSMEs, and stood as the second largest employment generator in the country.
Gift the Needy (GTN) App was also launched at the inaugural programme.
The programme further followed technical session wherein “Government role to enhance industry via the foothills toad” “The role of financial institutions in promoting business in Nagaland”, “The future of agri and allied business and role logistics” and “Employment and the future of work” were presented by panelists. Students, entrepreneurs, experts, stakeholders, and government representatives attended the seminar.