First the mandatory employment clause at the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) level with the industrial players to engage locals in different job categories and then entering into another MoU with the same players for setting up Industrial Training Centres (ITCs) at all the blocks of the state to train the locals.
It seems that the Orissa government is fully geared up to meet the manpower requirement needed for all the upcoming industries in sectors like steel, aluminium and power. Not just that, the state government wants to ensure that the locals are trained to the optimum level so that the benefits of industrialization trickle down to the bottom of the pyramid.
And its not without reason for the government to go overboard in its initiatives to secure employment for the locals. The manpower requirement is nothing short of mind boggling.
Picture this- There will be annual requirement of 140,000-180,000 trained personnel in highly skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled and non-executive workforce in the metal and manufacturing sectors; 95,000-120,000 in the mineral and mining sector; 10000-12000 non-executive personnel in tourism; 30,000 trained personnel in power sector and 12000 in IT and IT es sectors by 2015. These numbers are as per a survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the state.
The state government which has entered into MoUs with as many as 86 players has urged them to set up ITCs.
In the first phase, the state government signed MoUs with eight industrial players- Uttam Utkal Steel, Tata Power Company Ltd, Surendra Mining Industries, RSB Metaltech Ltd, Monnet Power Ltd, Emami Paper Mil, Orissa Power Generation Corporation Ltd and Ind-Barath Energy (Utkal) Ltd on May 24, 2010.
Reinforcing its commitment to the development of locals, the state government signed MoUs with 12 more companies on Friday.
These industries include Action Ispat & Power Ltd, Adhunik Metaliks Ltd, Crackers India (Alloys) Ltd, MGM Steel Ltd, Posco India Ltd, Rungta Mines Ltd, SSL Energy Ltd, CESC Ltd, KVK Nilachal Ltd, Visa Power Ltd, Essar Seel Orissa Ltd, Mahanadi Aban Power Ltd.
These industries would be setting up the ITCs in the unrepresented blocks like Kirimira in Jharsuguda district, Koida in Sundergarh district, Odapada in Dhenkanak district, Ersama in Jagatsinghpur, Krushnaprasad in Puri district and Bhapur in Nayagarh district to name a few.
“Our objective is to ensure that all the players who have signed MoUs set up ITCs for the benefit of the locals. Keeping in sync with our target to set up ITIs/ITCs in all blocks of the state, we are confident that our collaborative efforts with the industries will help us realize our target within the next two years”, said state industries secretary Saurabh Garg.
Anil Samal, director (technical education and training) who signed the MoUs with the 12 industrial players said, “The government will provide 3-5 acres of land to these players for setting up the industries. We hope that the ITCs of these 12 industries will be operational within a year and admission is likely to begin from the 2011-12 academic session.”
Industries who have signed the MoUs for setting up the ITCs believe the centres can help prepare a huge pool of manpower eligible to be absorbed in the upcoming projects.
“We are very much committed to the MoU signed with the state government for setting up an ITC at Ersama block. This initiative will spell the socio-economic development of the locals in the peripheral areas”, says Gee Wong Sung, director, Posco India
A similar view is echoed by Ind-Barath Energy (Utkal) Ltd.
“The ITCs will not only generate employable manpower but also spell development of the people in the peripheral areas. Ind-Barath has already recruited 700 locals in the unskilled and semi-skilled categories and 19 people in the skilled category so far for its project which is under construction”, said Muralidhar Mishra, senior vice president (corporate relations and administration) of the company.
Ind-Barath and Surendra Mining Industries have already submitted proposals for getting NCVT affiliation of the trades to be included at their ITCs which are set to be operational from August 2011. Aditya Aluminium's ITC at Kasipur block of Rayagada district is set to be operational from August 2010.
