Puri: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated the Biju Patnaik Industrial Training Institute at Krushnaprasad of the district via video-conferencing.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 18 crore, the institute will impart skill training to youths for different trades like fitters, electricians, electronic repairing and dressmaking. The institute has modern labs, workshops and hostel facility for residential trainees. Courses on more trades will be added gradually, said sources.
With the institute coming up in the block, the local youths will not have to go to Puri or Berhampur to avail training for these trades.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the rapid growth of industrialisation in the state needs skilled youths. “Odisha has received investments worth crores of rupees. Keeping this in view, the skill level of the state’s youths needs to be enhanced. We need to implement the ‘Skilled in Odisha’ scheme on mission mode,” he added.
He expressed hope that the demand for skilled youths from the state would be highest in the global recruitment market. “Among 12,000 ITIs, at least 10 ITIs from Odisha have found place in the top 100 institutes of the country,” Naveen said.
State Planning Board’s deputy chairman Sanjay Dasburma said, “Krushnaprasad is one of the remote places comprising 12 panchayats between the sea and the Chilika lake. With the setting up of ITI, a new horizon in education and training has opened for the local youths.”
CM’s secretary (5T) VK Pandian said since the chief minister has always given importance to green campuses, he had asked to launch extensive plantation on the new ITI campus. Puri DM Samarth Verma was also present at the event.
