SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday focused on the issues of the youth in the state and assured that a youth policy would be formulated.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the International Inter-disciplinary Seminar on ‘Human Resource Development in South Asia: capabilities, challenges and prospects’ at Synod College on Friday, Sangma said the state government has positive mindset about youth, entrepreneurship, education and border trade.
“I will make sure to bring the youth in all aspects of development and governance,” he said as he observed that the young generation was a great human resource in the region.
The chief minister, however, raised concerns over the state not having an education policy even after 46 to 47 years of statehood, “which is a basic requirement from a human resource development aspect”.
“We cannot think what we can improve on because we don’t have the basics ready yet so it is a huge challenge that we have. We need to know the direction and the way forward and the challenges we face in the Education sector,” he said.
Stating that the Education sector in the state is in a shambles, he said, “It is sad to say this and we must face the truth.”
Elaborating further, he told the assemblage that 50 per cent of the primary schools do not have buildings, about 70-80 per cent of the primary schools do not have water supply and electricity. He added almost about 80 per cent of teachers teaching in primary schools are untrained and there are about 1,100 posts of teachers lying vacant in primary schools.
There are about 80-90 colleges registered with the Education Department and “most of the Blocks and districts don’t have government colleges and most of the blocks don’t have Higher Secondary Schools”, he said and added that he has asked the department to work on a war footing to get the Education policy out.
‘Govt must not be in business’
According to Sangma, the state can move forward and develop if entrepreneurship develops while the responsibility of the government is to create the environment, policy and infrastructure to push for entrepreneurship.
He recalled the time that as an MBA student, he had written a paper on Meghalaya regarding the role of government in pushing economic development and went into details of the state’s industrial policy.
“I firmly believe that the government must play the role of a facilitator. The government must not be in business. Government must work towards creating the environment for allowing the young generation and entrepreneurs to really come up with business. We cannot continue to build up businesses from our side,” he said.
Sangma said that the state government is working towards creating environment for entrepreneurship and will be taking steps this year itself to ensure that entrepreneurship comes up.
In this connection, he urged the youth to take the risks and grab the chance.
Bilateral ties
Speaking on the countries bordering the state, Sangma said, “It is a challenge but the point is we cannot change our neighbors either. We have to work with our neighbours.”
He added that it is the government’s responsibility to come out with proper policies to ensure that youth, people of the state as well as across the border get the opportunity to have trade and business and boost the economy of both the sectors.
“Bilateral ties and trade are very important,” he said.
Sangma has requested the organizers of the programme to send a note to him about the outcome of the programme.