LABS playing vital role in eradication of poverty:Raghuvansh

Hajipur, Dec 1 (UNI) Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today appreciated the role of the workers of Livelihood Advancement Business School(LABS) and said it was a joint effort of the Union Ministry and Dr Reddy's Foundation to eradicate proverty, approved under Swarn Jyanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana(SGSY).

The LABS is a pilot project being implemented across the country under the aegis of joint venture of the Union Rural Development Ministry and Dr Reddy's Foundation, Hyderabad, for providing vocational training to untrained youths to enable them in securing jobs and fighting poverty.

Mr Singh was speaking in a ceremony, organised here to honour the workers of LABS and award the certificates to its students at Vaishali Garh.

While the Centre was bearing the 75 per cent expenditure of this project, the rest was covered by Dr Reddy's Foundation.

''I have asked the state government to bear 25 per cent expenditure for the project,'' he added.

He maintained that Indian economy was undergoing rapid transformation and expected to change and evolve considerbly in the near future, but the economically poor and untrained youths were lagging far behind though they have technical knowledge as well.

''LABS is a unique effort by Union Rural Development Ministry and Dr Reddy's Foundation to enhance the economic condition of these youths by providing proper training of basic computer programmes, sales and marketing, hotel management and catering and other multi skilled development knowledge,'' the Minister stated.

He also claimed LABS had given training to 1,20,000 people so far across the country since it came into existence in 2005 and more than 80 per cent of them had succeeded in getting jobs.

Referring to the performance of LABS in Bihar, he said 5,000 youths were trained in the state alone out of which 2,800 had already secured jobs.

He also promised that 10,000 more youths from Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts, while 5,000 from other parts of the state would be trained by LABS in the days ahead.

Mr Singh also announced opening of 50 village knowledge centres from March 2008 in Vaishali district and said 36 districts from the state would be considered under backward region list and get the financial assistance from the Centre.

Commenting on yesterday's episode of lathicharge and use of water cannons on Asha workers, he accused the Nitish Kumar government of making false claims of ''Sushasan'' (good governence).

UNI