Rs 3,300 crore plan to set up 43 more ITIs

Chandigarh, June 18
The Punjab Government today approved a Rs 3,300 crore plan for expansion and upgradation of the Technical Education Department under which 43 ITIs and 2,500 skill development centres would be established in the state.

Technical Education Minister Anil Joshi said the newly approved plan included setting up of 43 new ITIs in uncovered blocks at the cost of Rs 1200 crore. With these ITIs, the number of seats in ITIs would increase from 50,000 to four lakh.

The new ITIs would focus on emerging technologies according to the changing needs of industry.

The Minister said 2,500 skill development centres had been approved at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore. He said that he had approved a number of short-term courses under the public-private partnership mode.

Emphasising the need for a proper followup of projects under various centrally sponsored schemes, Joshi said all officers would ensure that the utilisation certificate required for release of Central funds was issued without delay. He said a lot of funds had not been released for want of this certificate.