Govt will consider Odisha’s proposal to open Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training: Rudy

New Delhi, Apr 12 (KNN) The Government of India will consider Odisha Government’s proposal to open a Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training in the state whenever there is plan to set up more Regional Directorates, Minister of Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said.

In a reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Rudy said the Centre has set up three more new Regional Directorates of Apprenticeship Training at Chandigarh, Guwahati and Bhopal. 

 He said the proposal for opening of Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship has been received from Government of Odisha.

“The said proposal would be considered whenever Government of India plan for setting up of more Regional Directorates of Apprenticeship Training,” Rudy added.

Meanwhile, a Parliamentary Panel had recently pointed that the Skill Development Ministry needs to improve its financial performance and prepare a proper action plan in the beginning of the financial year to spend the allocated funds.

The panel said that in 2016-17, the Ministry was yet to spend Rs 1,400 crore of the Rs 2,173 crore (revised estimates) allocated for the year, as on February 15, 2017.

Expressing concern over poor fund utilisation by the Ministry, the 25th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, said: “till February 15, the Ministry could utilise only Rs 865.18 crore.”

For 2017-18, the Ministry, which aims to skill/upskill 40 crore people in seven years, has been allocated Rs 3,016.14 crore by the Finance Ministry.

The Skill Development Ministry, in its presentation, had assured the panel that a concept note was ready for approval for setting up the National Board of Skill Certification, and it was also speeding up the process of setting up a Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training.