Government to open six ITIs in Maoist-hit districts

PATNA: State government will open industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the six Maoist affected districts of Jamui, Gaya, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Arwal and Rohtas soon, said labour resources minister Dulal Chand Goswami on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a starred question of Poonam Devi Yadav of JD (U) in the assembly, the minister said the process has already started.He said the government has also allowed the establishment of 375 industrial training centres in private sector.
Government of India's approval is awaited for opening of 105 new ITIs for which proposals were sent to the Union labour ministry in July 2011. District magistrates have been asked to allot land for the opening of new ITIs, he said. These would be opened under public private participation (PPP) model.
In reply to another starred question of Gopalji Thakur (BJP), Goswami said in Darbhanga district, eight new ITIs would be opened. The Union labour ministry has sanctioned these institutes. There are two ITIs already functioning in Darbhanga district, he said.
Goswami informed the House no student from Valmikinagar in West Champaran goes to Gorakhpur in UP for studies in ITI. There are two government run and eight private ITIs in West Champaran. He admitted Madhubani, Thakrahi, Bhitho and Piprasi blocks in the district did not have ITIs.
In a written reply to CPI's Awadhesh Kumar Rai, Goswami said there were 56 national child labourer special schools running for the children of beedi workers in Begusarai district. Scholarships to them would be distributed soon, he said.
In a written reply to a short notice question of Achyutananad of BJP, he said there was no proposal to grant the benefits available to the organized sector labourers to the unorganized sector workers. He said there were 1.41 lakh workers engaged in organized sector and 4 crore in unorganized sector in Bihar.
However, he said, under the national health insurance scheme, members of the unorganized labour sector were also entitled to health insurance scheme and free medical treatment to their family members.