The Associated Cement Companies Ltd (ACC), in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has embarked upon a plan to provide orientation and training for about 1,000 masons and site supervisors in various earthquake-affected villages of Gujarat.
This programme has been undertaken to overcome the scarcity of skilled masons and trained supervisors in rural and semi-urban areas in Kutch, Rajkot and Surendranagar districts for the rebuilding activities and reconstruction work in the aftermath of the Republic Day earthquake.
According to ACC director M L Narula, it is likely that more than 10,000 persons may be needed for the reconstruction work in these areas.
Bringing in such a large number of skilled masons from outside would prove to be difficult and costly. Moreover, such an act would only serve to deprive the local population of employment opportunities.
The training programme, the first batch of which was inaugurated on May 19, in Maliya Miyana taluka of Rajkot district, is being taken up for groups of candidates in manageable batches and is condensed into one month.
It would focus on training the rural poor in skills related to basic construction practices to suit their own cultural and social needs as well as provide tips and guidelines to help render structures more stable, durable and quake resistant.
Narula said the training would help in accelerating the creation of a local workforce apart from generating ready employment opportunities to the local population and thus improve their earning capacity. It would also help the local population to get their houses built expeditiously with earthquake resistant construction.
Handing over tool kits and study material to students joining the first batch of the training programme launched at Mota Dahisara village in the Maliya Miyana taluka of Rajkot, Narula impressed upon the elders of the village to motivate the youths to avail this training facility.
