By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: North Eastern Council (NEC) Secretary, UK Sangma, has said that the North Eastern region would have to achieve an annual GDP growth of 14 per cent to be able to catch up with the national GDP growth of seven per cent.
Informing that the annual GDP growth of the region is presently lingering at 3.4 per cent, Sangma admitted that it is a difficult task to achieve this target considering that the region does have any major private investment.
“We all know the fact that it is the contribution of major private players and big multinational companies which is responsible for the GDP growth of seven per cent at the national level,” Sangma said while speaking during the inauguration of the Shillong College Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) here on Friday.
According to Sangma, the tea sector is the only place where private players are engaged in the region. Absence of any multinational company is another major setback for the region, he said.
“We should understand that the Government cannot pump in the requisite funds which would help to increase the GDP growth here,” he said.
The NEC secretary believes that the only way that the GDP would grow in the region is that prospective local entrepreneurs take up the responsibilities of bringing about a major economic transformation.
“I am happy to see that Shillong College has made a right start towards grooming the young entrepreneurs by setting up the EDC,” Sangma said, while assuring support from the NEC towards the college’s endeavour.
When the present situation is compared with the economic survey conducted throughout the country in 1944, before the country’s independence, the GDP growth of the region turns out to be the highest when compared with other parts of the country, Sangma said.
“The main reason which has led to this high GDP growth is because the people residing along the border areas were engaged in free trade as the borders were not sealed. In fact, people residing along the border areas used to be very rich during those times,” the NEC secretary recalled.
But after the country’s Independence in 1947, the borders were closed which hampered trading activities in the region, he said, adding, “The GDP growth of the region slowly and gradually started to decline post Independence.”
Briefing on the objectives of the cell, EDC convener Dr (Mrs) Eva Kharkongor said that Shillong College intends to facilitate attitudinal and behavioral changes resulting in confidence building for taking up and implementing entrepreneurship ventures.
“We would also like to sensitize, motivate and encourage development of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge amongst the educated youth,” Dr Kharkongor said while adding that the College would also help to identify the vast entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in the local environment that can be utilized for sustainable development.
Others who spoke on the occasion included former Principal of Shillong College, Dr MPR Lyngdoh, and Head of Centre of Entrepreneurship Education (Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship), Guwahati, Pronab Sharma.
It may be mentioned as part of the launching of the EDC, the College also organised a one-day workshop on entrepreneurship development on the topic ‘Opportunities and Challenges in the North Eastern Region’.