State labour dept seeks Rs 1,000 cr

Labour Minister P T Parameshwara Naik on Wednesday said he had requested Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to earmark Rs 1,000 crore for his department in the State budget 2015-16.

Speaking to reporters, he said he had chalked out a plan to upgrade infrastructure at the industrial training institute (ITIs) at a cost of Rs 706 crore. ITIs provide training to youth in self-employment. They play an important role in addressing the problem of unemployment, he said.

Naik, who attended the pre-budget meeting chaired by the chief minister, said the department was planning to give impetus to imparting skill development training to educated unemployed youth. Besides, the department wants to expand its ongoing skill development programme for the unorganised sector in the coming financial year, he said.

Pre-budget meetings

Siddaramaiah has been busy preparing himself to present the budget. On Wednesday, he held pre-budget meetings with respect to seven departments of Higher Education, Tourism, PWD, Housing, Labour, Minority Welfare and Public Enterprises. He would hold such meetings in the next two days.