Modern village administration
- Part 2 -

K Lhouvum *

7. Skill Development Training

Every villager is gifted with different talents. Even differently- abled boys/girls can write with their feet if they lost their hands. All kids cannot be Officers, Pilots, Doctors, Engineers, acclaimed Speakers, Politicians, successful business Persons, etc. So, a village can establish skill or semi-skill institutions for the villagers to earn their livelihood or for self-confidence. This will reduce pressure on the Govt. on the mounting unemployment.

There are many NGOs recognised by Govt. of India who imparts skills. State/Centre Govts. are providing subsidy on fees /free courses to trainees. After successful completion of the courses, they are issued certificates which are their passport to secure employment. Govt. is even providing loans to successful trainees to purchase equipment so they can start their own business.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India is the umbrella on this matter. For start-up, please check details on this link: https://www.msde.gov.in/pmkvy.html. The Industry Deptt. of State Govt. can also play a pivotal role to nurture the talent of the youth.

These skill-training courses can be tuned to the needs of the villagers. Generally the courses include: Tailoring, Carpentry, Embroidery, Beautician, Handicraft, Bakery, Computer courses, Mason, Plumber, Electrician, Driving, Mechanic, Designing, etc. The skills training period can be of 3, 6, 12 months or 2 yrs duration. Our youth must be provided avenues for their gainful employment.

8. Village Economy
i) Agriculture

Today, agriculture is still the backbone of our economy and source of livelihood. It supports many households. Of late, we saw migration to urban centers for better avenues. This trend of migration will continue as our cultivable land is shrinking giving way to creation of various infrastructural needs due to the burgeoning population.

We need to think of replacing our paddy cultivation as it's most unproductive, labour intensive and economically nonviable. If you calculate the Time, Labour and Money invested on paddy cultivation, we realised that we're no better than our folklore legend Pu Benglam !!

So, remedial measures are: double cropping, growing other cash crops or jump to other occupational venture for better income and less labour or study hard to get central govt. jobs.

ii) Animal husbandry (AH)

NE is endowed with the heaviest rainfall in the world. This annual rainfall provides us with lots of benefits. On this count alone, we can sing praise to the Lord without ceasing. The bountiful rainfall provides us natural vegetation, perennial rivers, wild vegetables, drinking water, agriculture, hydro electric power generation, borders, sand, forest trees for fruits and timber, grass, shrubs, wild animals, fowls etc. allows us to enjoy and to live like kings!!

The AH provides us with meat, dung, milk, etc. which can be our source of livelihood and prosperity. The skills required for farming animals are not rocket science. There are segments of people in our society who don't consume meat but still rear cattle for milk and dung only. On the other hand, we eat/sell the meat and the animals are also wedded with our culture.

But the irony is that though AH is most suited for us as its wedded with our custom besides having high density of unemployed youth and the blessed natural vegetation for cattle rearing, we're searching to purchase cattle for our various functions from non-meat consumers !! God will curse us for not picking up all these modern manas!!

9. Ancillary issues.

To cut this article short, let me just mention other important issues in passing which are felt essential for the well being of the villagers / town dwellers.

These are:
i) Promotion of Sports with minimum basic infrastructure and its various benefits;
ii) Conduct of Annual Festivals to promote our culture, identity and harmony;
iii) Village Funds for: welfare services like emergency medical cases; educational support to deserving students; urgent social function, soft loan for agriculture and business venture; for beautification of the village, etc.
iv) Management of markets, supervision and control of prices and unhealthy practices.
v) Computerisation of records for the organization such as Church, VA,Youth, etc;
vi) Incentive Awards on various activities such as: Most Productive Person / Most Valuable Person; Best Academician, Strongest Person, Most Beautiful Girl, etc.

10. Imphal City

We all know the importance of the capital city Imphal. It's the head quarters of all heads of government, location of all top administrative offices and the nerve center of business activity where many lives are dependent. Delivery of an efficient administration and a thriving commercial life of the people are the hallmark of an efficient administration as also the backbone for progress and prosperity.

However, the hardships we faced today are unfortunate. The state of affairs in terms of increasing traffic congestion, unhygienic state of the city and hospitals, bumping roads, intermittent bandhs coupled with the paralysing monsoon flood is a perpetual nightmare.

Scarcity of drinking water in Imphal and in rural towns in the heaviest rainfall on earth is ridiculous to say the least. We must learnt how dry places like Ahmednagar, Maharashtra built a water reservoir dam the size of our Loktak lake 30 kms away and provide water supply for drinking and agriculture to the city and its outskirts !!

The big questions itching the peoples' minds are:

i) Why the people of Sanaleibak in general and the residents of Imphal in particular has to suffer year after year of neglect and haphazard growth?
ii) Where has all the Govt.budgetary allocation gone? Is this a case of abject total mismanagement? Or is it due to inadequate allocation of funds for local urban bodies?
iii) Why the concerned Deptt.of the GoM failed to prepare City Master Plan? If one exist, do it visualise the requirements of at least 100 years hence? Do we have to wait for the sanction of funds from GoI since it is listed as one of the selected Smart City?

Remedial measures to the above problems are simple: strong govt.commitment, proper financial management and engagement of town planning experts. After these three components work in unison, the face of Imphal will present a dramatic change.

11. Conclusion

Friends, hope this article throw some light on how to manage our lives in small or in big habitation in a coordinated manner. This article is not against anyone. Its just to highlight the plight of the people and attempt to provide alternatives. The respective authorities must take urgent steps to gear up to the challenges we're facing today. We must focus and forecast for the things of tomorrow. This is a call for omnem curam operam urgentis (urgent call on all concerned)!!

"Power has only one duty : to secure the social welfare of the People" - Benjamin Disraeli


Concluded ...