Vegetable vendors are seen at Mao Market Kohima. A report published by the Kohima District Human Development Report brought out recently states that the total annual income generated by the unorganized sector in Kohima Town in 2006 is recorded at Rs. 238 crores. (Morung Photo)
Kohima | August 21 : The total annual income generated by the unorganized sector in Kohima Town in 2006 is recorded at Rs. 238 crores. This was stated in the Kohima District Human Development Report brought out recently through the project of Government of India and United Nations Development Porgramme.
The report stated that according to the study, there are roughly 67 types of establishments or sectors that constitute the unorganized sector in Kohima. Around 8000 business establishments come under these 67 categories of establishment or sectors.
About 23,000 persons were employed in this sector in Kohima town during the survey period of July to October 2006 out of which 10,900 were non-Nagas, the report said adding that roughly 80% of the total employed were male and 20 % female.
The employed females were generally Naga women. The few non-Naga women employed in this sector were engaged in small grocery shops or as vegetable vendors.
It is estimated that 10,900 non-Nagas employed in the unorganized sector in Kohima earn about Rs. 90 crores in a year, the report said adding “Assuming that 40 % of the total annual earnings of the non-Nagas are retained in the state as cost of living, an amount of Rs. 54 crore would be the annual outflow of revenue in a year. Thus out of the total income of Rs. 238 crore generated by the unorganized sector in Kohima Rs. 54 crore go out, that is 23% of the total income of the sector.
The report also stated that the study by Directorate of Evaluation also indicates that the income levels of many unskilled people engaged in the unorganized sector in Kohima are higher than many government employees in Nagaland. The study indicates that the service sector in the unorganized sector does not require heavy capital investment and can be capitalized for employment of a large section of the unemployed youth.
The prominent unorganized sectors employ the bulk of people in Kohima, Out of the estimated 23,000 persons employed, 68% i.e 15, 640 persons are employed in 9 sectors. The rest 7,360 are distributed in the remaining 58 sectors of the unorganized economy of Kohima.
The report quoting the figure of the Directorate of Evaluation said that construction is one of the most prominent activities in the unorganized sector in Kohima, adding “ this is a corollary of the rapid pace of urbanization taking place particularly in Kohima municipal area. Other activities like consumer durable shops, transport related activities and grocery shops all illustrate the pace of urbanization in Kohima.
Of the 9 sector (i.e. Crockery/ration, pan shops, clothing/textiles, consumer durables/ construction, transport, loading/unloading, hotel/catering and education sector) the income generated in the loading and unloading sector was the highest. The contribution of this sector was 15.19 % of the yearly income generated by the top nine unorganized sectors of economy in Kohima. Clothing and textile contributed 12.75%. Pan shops contributed 11.28% and grocery business contributed 9.12% to the income in 2006.
Out of the 9 sectors, the income from hotel and catering and education sectors was 2.57 % and 1.94% respectively. The total income of the unorganized sector in Kohima for the year 2006 was Rs. 238 crore out of which the contribution of the 9 sectors was Rs. 162 crore.
Stating that there is no study of comprehensive data on the unorganized sector in the state, the report remarked that it was hard to calculate and analyze the exact impact and contribution of the sector to the state’s economy, even though this sector has significantly contributed to the economy both in terms of employment and revenue generations. The unorganized sector is an important contributor to the tertiary sector of the economy.
“There is also considerable annual outflow of revenue from within the state to outside as this sector employs a large number of non-Nagas who remit money to their home towns from their earnings,” the report said.
The analysis of Kohima district is based on the study done by Directorate of Evaluation, Government of Nagaland in 2006, on “Employment opportunities forgone by Nagas and Employment of non-Nagas in the state.”
“This study was limited to the urban centers of Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung. The content of the study was most related to the unorganised sector. The study may not be representative of the state as a whole but it gives a clear idea of the structure, nature and composition of the unorganized sector in the state,” the report said.
