Mukul asks youth to take up entrepreneurship

From A Correspondent

Tura, Oct 3: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday urged the youth of the State to look beyond government jobs and make themselves employable in other sectors, besides taking up entrepreneurship.

The Chief Minister was delivering a speech at the “Youth Entrepreneurship and Business Development Awareness Programme” at Tura Government College, which was attended by over 1,000 students from different institutes.

He said the thrust of the government has been on the youth, particularly young students who are at the crossroads in search of making their mark in a particular career.

“There are a lot of opportunities in our backyard and an endeavour has to be made to educate and inform our youth on such opportunities, so that they are equipped with the right information and jump start their entrepreneurial activities,” he said.

Talking about Gujarati community and their choice for jobs, Mukul said, “A Gujarati looks for a businessman to get his daughter married. They are averse to the idea of getting their daughters married to a government employee as the community is aware that government jobs are not much lucrative.” He motivated the youth to exploit the entrepreneurial opportunities as they give adequate freedom and liberty to an individual, besides an unlimited scope for earning.

He said the job of Chief Minister of Meghalaya was more challenging than the post in Gujarat as people in Gujarat have a mindset to venture out to expand their business and opportunities within and outside the tiol boundaries.

“A collective effort was required to change the mindset of the parents so that our youth can be empowered to think beyond conventiol career opportunities and expand their horizon of the various spaces available in agriculture, horticulture, veteriry and other allied sectors in Garo hills,” he added.

Referring to 2011 census of the State, which recorded highest decadal growth of 27% in rural areas, Mukul said, “It calls for coming together of all to address the concern of an overgrowing population and opportunities so that each individual in the society becomes productive.”

He stated that if every segment of the society becomes “productive”, the State, the tion and the community as a whole will increase its “strength” and “potential” for growth and economic prosperity, which will create an “ebling environment”.

“We have to ensure that nobody becomes a liability for the society. We have to take care of the larger interest of the society to make each one of us productive,” the Chief Minister asserted.

Asking all stakeholders of the society to build capacity and empower the youth for a progressive career, Mukul said, “We have to push and guide our youth and motivate them to become self-reliant and guide them to nurture their dreams.”

He also informed the gathering that the government has been working in tandem with different departments to eble them with right kind of information and mentorship, so that adequate support can be lent out to them.