A three-member team from the Director General Training, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) headed by Deputy Director General, SD Lahiri visited South Assam’s aspirational Hailakandi district on to oversee the skill development initiatives.
Two other officials from the MSDE, Tanvi Singh and BK Singha, both Deputy Directors, accompanied Lahiri on a two-day visit to the district.
They interacted with various line departments like Labour Welfare, DEIC, MSME, Assam Skill Development Mission, NRLM, NULM, tea industry and ITI among others.
The central team visited the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Katlicherra and inspected the facilities on Monday. During interaction with the faculty members and students, Deputy Director General Lahiri said the MSDE has transformed the lives of the youth with its various skill training programmes.
“MSDE aims to remove the disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, to build new skills and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created,” he added.
The team also evinced keen interest in the Solar Urja through Localisation for Sustainability (SoULS) project conceptualised by IIT, Bombay, and adopted by the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) in Lala and other development blocks across the state.
District Project Manager, NRLM, Biplob Kumar Nath said, “The project is being executed by Thobi Primary Village Organisation under ASRLM. It has become a source of livelihood for 10 to 11 women Self-help Groups of areas under the Lala Development Block.”
Members of the SHGs have been engaged to assemble the solar lights that are to be sold to underprivileged school children in power deficit areas or in remote parts of the district which have no electricity supply at subsidised rates of Rs.100 per unit against the actual cost of Rs.700 in the market. The SHG members earn Rs.12 to Rs.17 per unit respectively.
The central team also visited the newly constructed ITI at Kuchila and supervised the facilities out there. Members of the team interacted with District Development Commissioner, FR Laskar, officials of the line departments and faculty members. Later, it made a visit to Katakhal and interacted with the local artisans who produce the famous shital pati.