Official apathy mars State's first HRD centre

Activity stopped a year ago renders it as employment exchange

In 2009, when then labour minister B N Bachegowda inaugurated state’s first Human Resource Development  (HRD) centre, it had become pride of the city. With its creativity, the second largest centre after Bengaluru had achieved 23 per cent overall growth rate for the year 2013-14. Believe it or not, the centre which stretched helping hand to thousands, itself is in a paralyzed condition from past one year. 

Yes, as per the order of Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC) the district HRD centre activity has been stopped ‘temporarily’ from June 1, 2014. Only employment exchange activities are continued as it is. In fact the centre has become a mere job registration counter.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Kodagu District Employment Officer Jagannath C, who is also in charge of this office, said that the HRD Centre was closed as the three-year contract with the Laurus Edutech company (Chennai) was finished by May 31, 2014. Tender process is yet to be done for new agency. Without recruiting permanent staff, organising job fairs would become heavy and it is tough to monitor from here. However, it is purely policy matter and decision should be taken in commissioner-level, he said.

There were four staff when in the HRD centre, but now there are only two permanent staff and a temporary staff. Job fairs have not been conducted from past one year and students are started asking questions. KVTSDC failed to take decisions on continuing the successful HRD centre, because of transfer of higher officials. Now, KVTSDC has no commissioner and Labour Commissioner has the additional charge. 

In fact, not only Mangaluru, six other HRD centres of the state have also been closed, said a staff in Mangaluru. 

Looking at past In 2013-14, Mangalore HRD centre had organized five job fairs and 1,855 job aspirants were participated. Among them 11 students of below SSLC, 38 students who passed SSLC, PUC (171), ITI (165), diploma (223), graduate (447), post graduate (310) and technical graduates or BE (360) were selected in the job fairs.

These statistics clearly show the role of job fairs. Though the HRD Centre wanted to conduct seven job fairs in 2014-15 and training camps on Modular Employment Skills (MES) in rural areas from June, it couldn’t happen. 

Former Mangalore HRD centre manager Rithesh Amin feels that stopping of HRD Centre is an injustice to unemployed rural youth, who are getting benefit from that. Decisions of the government taken in higher level should not affect student community. The government should solve the problem at the earliest and job fairs should be conducted in City, he said. 

Selection through tenderDirectorate of Employment and Training Joint Director (Training) Govinde Gowda D T said that service provider will be selected by the Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC) through tender process sharply. Along with Mangaluru, all other HRD centres of the state will also start activities within a month. The process was delayed because of transfer of two-three commissioners in the corporation and decisions could not be finalised, he said.