Govt to hold skill development programme for jobless youth

Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis has said that the district administration is organising skill development programme for unemployed youths shortly.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the officer said that the programme has been initiated as part of the state government’s skill development programme for the year 2017-18. Funds of Rs five lakh have been earmarked for the programme. The programme will be taken up in all the three taluk headquarters.

The deputy commissioner said a web portal will be inaugurated on May 15 at Board high school in Udupi where the registration of the unemployed youths would be taken up for 10 days. The officer said that in Kundapur, the web portal would be inaugurated at Government PU College auditorium by MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty, while in Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar would inaugurate the web portal at the Taluk Panchayat hall.

District In-charge Minister Pramod Madhwaraj will inaugurate the programme. Youths in the age group of 18-35 years, including illiterate youths, are eligible to apply. The applicants will be trained at the skill development programmes based on preferences. The youths are entitled to follow the norms put forth under each programme.

The aspirants can register their names anywhere through the web portal. The drive will be taken up for 10 days. Even after 10 days, however, the aspirants are eligible to register their names. The Aadhaar number is important. While the Aadhar kit would be made available for those who do not have the Aadhaar card to get it done, authentic identity is must, stressed Francis.

There are 39 various skill development programmes. The members are taken in the ratio 1:3 as against the target. This is an attempt to converge various development schemes on a single platform. Besides, a mobile app will be introduced, she said.

Retorting to a query on water scarcity in the district, Francis said more than 60 villages are being supplied tanker water. The situation in rural areas of the district is much better than the urban areas. Precautionary measures were taken to prevent drought by placing planks much earlier into the vented dams.

The deputy commissioner said that land acquisition for the upcoming construction of the national highway at Padubidri junction is in the final stages. The assistant commissioner is working on it. Except for a few cases, most of the acquisition process has been completed and the compensation is also being awarded. Navyug construction has carried out the markings and the demolition of structures will happen at the earliest. The work will be taken up even at the cost of deterrence, she explained.

The stone crusher quarry units should be compulsorily fenced for renewal of the licences. The department itself has taken up the fencing of three defunct quarries, she said.

On the precautionary measures introduced for the safety of the schoolchildren during transport, the officer said that a meeting of all school heads and the vehicle drivers in the district is called shortly. The fog issue during rainy season would be taken up for discussion.

The school heads will be told strictly not to pressurise the vehicle drivers to get the school children on time, especially during the monsoon, which might end up in disasters, she maintained.