Stating that the AIADMK government was giving utmost importance to technical education and in skill development, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today announced a slew of welfare schemes to benefit workers, including the setting up of ‘Amma Two-Wheeler Mechanic Training Centres’ and vocational training for youth.

Fulfilling one of her announcements made in the election manifesto, Jayalalithaa said the centre would be opened in government industrial training centres in 35 panchayat unions in the State this year.

Thirty people would be given training at each centre for three months with a stipend of Rs. 3000 per month. It would be implemented at a cost of Rs. 1.68 crores, she said.

The Chief Minister also announced vocational training for youngsters, enabling them to get jobs or start their own business. Accordingly, 60 youngsters (who have passed class 10 and plus-two) would be given training in each government industrial training centre functioning in 60 blocks, for three months. This would benefit 3,600 people and they would be given a stipend of Rs. 3000 per month. The project would be carried out at a cost of Rs. 2.94 crores, she said.

To improve the skills of youngsters in the service sector, Jayalalithaa announced that 20,000 people selected from the corporations, town panchayats and municipalities would be trained by the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation at a cost of Rs. 18 crores.

Under public-private partnership, the government in association with Siemens & Designtech, would set up a Centre of Excellence and five Technical Skill Development Institutes (t-SDIs) at a cost of Rs. 546.84 crores. The government share of Rs. 54.68 crores has been allotted for the project, she said.

The Centre of Excellence would come up at the MIT campus of Anna University and the t-SDIs would be set up at Central Polytechnic, Taramani, Anna University College in Kanchipuram and Villupuram, Murugappa Polytechnic, Avadi and Government Polytechnic, Vellore, she said.

The operational costs for the first three years would be taken care by Siemens and Designtech.

Jayalalithaa also announced a centre for training construction workers, that would come up at at five-acre land at Chengelpet, at a cost of Rs. 28 crores. Around 5,000 people would be given training annually by the Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC).

On the health front, she said 11 new ESI dispensaries would be opened at Uthukuli, Duraisamipuram, Manachanallur, Kalpakkam, Mahabalipuram, Athipattu, Kulathur, Thirumudipuram, Panrut, Peramanallur and Kulsekaram at a cost of Rs. 12.70 crores.