200 girls felicitated at valedictory session of Swavalamban project

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 29

As many as 200 marginalised girls trained under Swavalamban Project were facilitated at a valedictory session organised by the CII – HPCL here today.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a public sector undertaking, provided training to 200 girls students in two specially designed courses — beautician and stitching and tailoring — at Modern Institute of Information Technology Welfare Society here. The training was provided in order to ensure inclusive growth under ‘Swavalamban’, a skill development programme, under corporate social responsibility initiative of the HPCL.

Free training was provided to girl students from Amritsar district under the programme. On successful completion of the course candidates were awarded certificates along with job placement.

Speaking at the occasion, Pardeep Sehgal, chairman of the CII, Amritsar zonal council, said “The programme has been meticulously designed with the thought that you teach a woman and you teach an entire nation.”

Sehgal said, “To achieve our goal, it is necessary to reach out to every section of society, especially girls so that they stand on their own feet and contribute in family income.”

Earlier, during the programme Sonali Giri, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, distributed certificates among 200 successful candidates of the 10th phase of the Swavalamban project. She appreciated the CII in its efforts to genuinely ensure a placement platform, providing livelihood and sustainability for the entire community.

She said, “Training of the 200 below poverty line girl beneficiaries is a conscious effort to provide livelihood to the community. The programme not only entails training, but also encourages self-employment.”

“The courses of stitching, tailoring and beautician have been started after recognising the strength and interest of the local population. Our aim is to equip every girl in a household with a skill, which is transferable as well as in demand,” said Gurpreet Singh Bedi, head, CII, Amritsar zonal office.

The Swavalamban Project, which is in its 10th year since its inception, has 12 centres in eight states.