Envisioning the state as a hub of skilled manpower, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said he was confident that Punjab would be the first state in the country to realise 'Skill India' and 'Make in India' dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the state-of -the-art multi-skill development centre set up by a private group here, the Chief Minister said that these centres were the need of the hour for giving fillip to the overall development of the country as well as eradicating the menace of unemployment.
He said these centres were like 'modern temples' as they could be instrumental in transforming the destiny of millions of people. "Punjabis have a penchant for triumphing in every field and with the coming up of such centres, the day is not far away when we will show the way to country for achieving the goal of 'Make In India' and 'Skill India' set by the PM."
The 87-year-old five-time Chief Minister said that it was a "matter of great pride" for him that the Prime Minister had constituted a sub-group of NITI Aayog comprising chief ministers of various states under his leadership.
Badal said he had convened several meetings of this sub-group across the country to have a fair idea about the potential and dimensions of skill development.
He said that the sub-group would be submitting its report to the Prime Minister within a month so as to give boost to skill training in the country.
The Chief Minister bemoaned that currently only three per cent populace of the country was skilled as compared to the advanced countries where more than 90 per cent of their population was highly skilled.
He said the state government has chalked out a strategy to bridge this gap by enhancing the skilled population in the state from three per cent to 90 per cent, for which Punjab State Skill Development Mission has been constituted.
Badal said the state government was setting up integrated multi-skill development centres to create a pool of skilled manpower in the state so as to cope up with the need of local industry besides opening new vistas of gainful employment for the youth.
"In the same manner, the state government is giving support and cooperation to the captains of the industry in the state for setting up skill development centres in various cities," he added.
