NE NEWS SERVICE
AMRAVATI, FEB 19
Moving ahead with the implementation of a unique industrial policy, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to set up 30 skill development centres with a financial closure of 45 days and completion in one year.
Holding a review meeting on the IT policy and skill development, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here recently, has directed the officials to set up one centre in each Parliamentary constituency, four centres in collaboration with the four triple IITs and one centre linked to the Pulivendula JNTU. Their supervision will be centralized and later on expansion plans would be taken up.
A high-end skill development centre would be set up in Visakhapatnam for fostering the IT sector and later on such centres would be established in Central Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. A committee would be set up for taking skill development forward in the state with IT and Industries Minister Mekapati Gowtam Reddy as its chairman and officials from the Higher Education Council and IT department as its members.
The Chief Minister outlined the need to set up a centralized administrative block first for supervising the skill development centres and preparing a curriculum for the purpose. The course material will be updated from time to time. He wanted the provision of admission to meritorious engineering students in the centres.
The Chief Minister made it clear that such skill development centres should enable students to compete with their counterparts in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. He said a plan of action should be prepared to make the dream a reality to give a fillip to the industrial sector in the state.
Jagan plans desalination plant in coastal region
Chief Minister also directed the officials to prepare a plan for the utilization of desalinated water in the industries in the coastal region. He said each litre of water was being sold at the rate of 4 paise in Israel. He said efforts should be made to set up desalination plants by discussing the issue with the industries concerned in the region. He said that the previous government has kept incentives worth Rs 4,500 crores pending to industries.
Minister Gowtham Reddy, Skill Development Corporation chairman Challa Madhu and Skill Development Special Chief Secretary Ananta Ramu were among those present at the review meeting.
