Road Ministry is assisting state road transport corporations (SRTCs) in developing their training infrastructure for drivers and highway construction workers, as part of its broader goal to create more employment opportunities in the sector.
The ministry will provide Rs 1 crore each to SRTCs and interested private promoters for setting up training centres.
"The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) is steadily pushing ahead with its programme for training and skill upgradation of drivers and highway construction workers...," it said in a statement today.
The ministry further said that "in case of drivers, the skill training/skill upgradation will be provided at the existing driver training centres run by the SRTCs".
In addition to this, private promoters are also being invited to set up training facilities, it added.
"The MoRTH will give a grant of Rs 1 crore to each SRTC for augmenting its training infrastructure. Similarly, the ministry will also give a grant of Rs 1 crore to each private promoter for setting up training centres, after their project report is duly appraised and sanctioned by NSDC or a recognised financial institution," the ministry said.
The Road Ministry will also provide a stipend to each trainee, both at the government and privately run training centres, based on the daily minimum wage to compensate for loss of income during the training period.
This expense will be borne by the Road Safety Funds of the ministry.
The cost of training will be met out of Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana of the Ministry of Skill Development, both at the government and privately run training centres.
"SRTCs have been asked to open their training centres to the general public," the statement said.
At present, only drivers employed by SRTCs were being trained at these centres.
The Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) of the Ministry of Skill Development has drawn up a curricular for the training of drivers under its National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), the statement said.
All training centres will have to conform to NSQF guidelines, it added.
The Road Ministry had issued directions in this regard to transport commissioners/secretaries of all states and union territories and managing directors of all SRTCs in August.
So far, 55 proposals have already been received from nine SRTCs for implementing the scheme.
For skill development of workmen in the highways and construction sector, the ministry has resorted to convergence of resources.
This training is proposed to be done by concessionaires / contractors at project sites, ITIs and Indian Academy of Highways Engineers.
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