The country’s youth unemployment rate is at an all-time high. It stands at 23 per cent as per the Labour Force Survey 2020. As such creating gainful employment opportunities is the need of the hour. In Pema Gatshel, Nanong Gewog is trying to address the issue by engaging youth in mining red clay. The gewog office has proposed the dzongkhag administration allow a youth group to extract red clay in the gewog. And if everything goes as planned, the youth group will be able to start extracting red clay by next year.
If the proposal comes through, the youth group will be extracting red clay on an acre of land at Tshatsi. Red clay is primarily used as a pigment in paint. It is also used in pottery and manufacturing brick and tiles.
The extraction of the clay is not new to the people there. A private individual started the business in the same area about 30 years ago. A kilogram of the red clay fetches between Nu 50 to Nu 80.
To ensure that the entire community is benefited from the natural resource, the chiwog tried to form a community group to extract the clay. But they were not able to benefit as the private individual claimed that the land belongs to him.
The gewog office then approached the dzongkhag administration to verify the land ownership.
“A committee comprising the district’s environment officer, Land record officer and official from the Department of Mines and Geology visited the area. But they didn’t tell us whether our group is eligible or not. And we have submitted an application to the gewog office to form a youth group in 2020,” said Gadhen, the Gashing_Tshatsi Tshogpa in Nanong Gewog.
“We were told that the area falls in private land. So, we couldn’t do anything until we have it confirmed. Later, on our request, the dzongkhag land record office carried out a survey which confirmed that the area falls on state land and did not belong to any private individual,” said Nanong Gup Sonam Jamtsho.
He said around 15 youth are interested to form the youth group to extract red clay from Gashingkhar-Tshatsi chiwog.
“These days, after completing class X, XII or even university degree, it is challenging to get a job for the youth. Therefore, youth in the gewog came up with the plan to create job opportunities. And we support their idea,” said the chiwog tshogpa.
Gewog Administration plans to complete all paper works including writing proposals and seeking approvals from the relevant agencies within this year.
Sonam Jamtsho said the gewog office will provide the necessary support to the youth group. “We will be supporting them in finding markets, educate them regarding the rules and regulations and dos and don’ts of mine extraction. And the gewog administration is planning to get all clearances from the relevant agencies. We will also allocate budget in the 2022-2023 financial year.”
He added the gewog office will also form more youth groups in the future to extract other natural resources including black and yellow clay in the chiwog.
The project will not only help the youth earn some income but is also expected to help address rural-urban migration.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Phub Gyem
