Drawing investment to Nagaland still challenging: Hekani Jakhalu

Morung Express NewsDimapur | October 16Drawing outside investment to Nagaland remains an uphill task, according to MLA and Advisor for Industries and Commerce Hekani Jakhalu. Speaking to reporters on the sideline of a two-day Futsal-cum-Job and Career Fair, which began at Toluvi village on October 16, she said that corporate reluctance or “due diligence” and travel restrictions like the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime serve as discouraging factors despite initial display of interest. While the government continues to pitch Nagaland as a potential investment destination, she said that turning initial interest into actual capital has proved difficult. She said that while the government presents Nagaland as peaceful, companies carry out their own independent checks, eventually turning away. “Business is not charity. It's not about you coming and just doling out some cash. Even if business is for one rupee, they are going to make sure that that one rupee that they are investing is secured,” she said. About the career/job fair, she said that recruiters were brought directly to the constituency after earlier outreach attempts drew poor response from the youth. As the elected representative, she told the youth of 3 Dimapur-III to “buckle up” and focus on earning a livelihood.Asked about Dimapur's traffic snarls and need for additional flyovers, Jakhalu said the three MLAs from the district have not met to discuss the issue together. She mentioned that during her present tenure, she pushed for the Bamunpukhuri road to link the Toluvi Industrial Park with the NH 29 four-lane (Dimapur Bypass) highway. She claimed that the Bamunpukhuri road is now helping commuters bypass the crowded market areas.The two-day Futsal-cum-Job and Career Fair was organised for the youth by the NPF Dimapur-III Youth Wing in collaboration with YouthNet. Earlier, speaking at the programme, she said that engaging youth remained a challenge. She said the programme was organised not only for recreation but also to encourage young people to explore opportunities for their future. The futsal segment of the programme has 34 teams competing. Alongside the competition, she said that around 12 company and departments have been brought together offering opportunities in training, skill development, formal employment and self-employment.She though asserted that government initiatives alone would not suffice unless young people were willing to step outside their comfort zones. She said that the youth should consider entrepreneurship and other avenues for livelihood instead of hunting for grade-4 posts with graduate and postgraduate degrees.While stating that many young people possessed talent but lacked exposure and opportunities, she added that her role was to guide and support them in realising their potential.