Mizoram grabs second position in the rural job scheme

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

Lawngtlai (Mizoram) June 15: The performance of MGNREGA in Mizoram is found to be quite satisfactory as the state succeeds to grabs second position in rural jobs scheme.

According to performance report of the rural development ministry Mizoram stands on the second place amongst all the North Eastern states by providing 68.55 percent of jobs in the rural areas under MGNREGA. With regard to this the Left ruled state Tripura retained the top position by providing 94.46 percent of work to the rural populace under the said scheme.

Individually in the district wise alysis the performance of Lawngtlai district of the state was also found to be convincing. According to the Baseline survey of Minority Concentrated Districts the casual labor in agriculture sector which is the domint occupation in the district ranges around 52.48 percent.

As per the report in total agriculture, forestry and fishing are the other domint activities wherein nearly 85.58 percent of the household members are engaged.

However apart from agriculture and allied activities a very small percentage of the rural populace are also engaged in various other sectors like manufacturing (1.74%), construction(1.19%),trade, hotels and restaurants(2.79%), mining and quarrying(2.42%), transport and communication(0.67%), fince, real estate and business(1.12%), public administration, education, health and other sectors(4.35%).

The lower proportion of the workers engaged in the modern sector of employment is mainly due to the lack of infrastructure necessary for industrial development.  Although the entire state have succeeded in making good progress in paper with regard to rural job yet the larger dependence on  agriculture and allied activities, could be the prime reason for poverty, deprivation and slow progress of the state as a whole. There is lack of trained and skilled manpower in the district, which needs to be attended to on a priority basis by opening industrial training and other technical institutes.

Overall for strengthening the economic condition of the state as a whole there is an urgent for developing basic infrastructure in terms of industrial establishment so that the significant gap between the level of income and expenditure of the people could be minimized.