100 ITIs to be upgraded to Excellence Centers every year: Oscar

Jammu, May 3 (UNI) Union Minister for Overseas affairs Oscar Fernandes today said hundred Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) would be upgraded as Centers of Excellence every year to promote vocational education in the country.

Mr Fernandes, who was addressing the 267th national Working Committee meeting of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) here this morning, said under a special plan one thousand such institutes would be converted into the Excellence Centers by introducing latest and market oriented vocational courses.

The Centre would provide Rs 2.50 crore assistance to the states for setting up such centers, he said.

Referring to the measures taken up for safeguarding the interests of the working class, Mr Fernandes said it was the endeavor of the Union government to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage structure of Rs 62 fixed in every state.

''The main objective of fixing minimum wage is to eradicate bounded labour system which is still prevalent in many areas of the country,'' the Union Minister said, asserting that it becomes the moral duty of the INTUC workers to see that workers are getting the wages as per the set norms.

To ensure 100 days employment to the unskilled labour is the immediate objective of UPA government, he said, adding that it would be increased to 200 days in the coming years.

Mr Fernandes also called upon the INTUC delegates to work for stopping child labour, adding, ''this menace must stop, if we want to compete with the fast growing economies of the world''.

INTUC president and Member of Parliament G Sanjeeva Reddy, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma, Minister for Rural Development Jugal Kishore, Minister for Roads and Buildings Gulchain Singh Charak and INTUC state chairman Shiv Kumar Sharma were also present on the occasion.

UNI