Efforts on to find jobs for returnees

SHILLONG: As thousands of skilled professionals, who were employed outside the state, have returned to the state owing to the pandemic, the state government has been confronted with a new challenge of providing them with sustainable employment locally.
At least 18,000 people have returned to the state in the last few months and most of them were employed in different parts of the country and now the state government is keen to work out strategies to absorb the skilled professionals by creating sustainable employment avenues for them.
Chairman of the State Planning Board, Lambor Malngiang , while taking cognizance of the matter on Monday, admitted that with their return, unemployment problem in the state had multiplied and there was an urgent need to address the issue.
Pointing out that there are around 20,000 people returning to the state, Malngiang said that solution had to be found fast otherwise it might have serious adverse impact on the state.
In order to chalk out a road map, the State Planning Board has convened a meeting on July 7 where the gamut of issues would be considered.
Malngiang proposes to set up more skill training institutes in the state that can accommodate large number of these returnees as faculty for hands-on training in different skills.
On skilled professionals, he informed that they are to register themselves in their respective block development offices and the state government will take it forward on how to absorb or engage them in an appropriate way.