"After the conclusion of elections (nearly two years ago) to panchayat bodies, the SIRD has got an important responsibility to train the representatives of local bodies," Mahto said here.
Laying the foundation stone for a building to house training and administration centre under SIRD, Mahto said Rs five crore had been released for the purpose.
Stressing on the importance of specialised training, he announced setting up of three more sub-centres of SIRD at Chaibasa, Hazaribagh and Palamau.
The Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department, R S Poddar, said construction of the administrative building was an important step towards strengthening the three-tier Panchayat Raj System.
The Director of the SIRD, R P Singh, expressed the hope that training could start in about one year.