Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today appreciated the Punjab government's efforts in making the state's youth self-sufficient.
"The Punjab government is doing a good work in making the youth self-sufficient by providing professional and skill education," he said.
Describing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal "visionaries", the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, "The Punjabi youths will emerge as the most skilled in the world."
Rudi said this after inaugurating Nanhi Chhaan Rural Skill Development Centre for girls at Salani village in Amloh constituency here.
On the occasion, Sukhbir said the centre opened at Salani will train girls in professional courses of beauty and wellness.
Girls passing out from the centres after the four-month course will be awarded certificates by the academy of renowned hair stylist Jawed Habib, he said, adding 200 such centres have been started throughout the state today.
The Deputy Chief Minister said he wishes to open such a centre in every block of the state, after which it will come to around one centre for every 10 villages and hoped that these centres will be instrumental in opening self-employment avenues for the trainees.
Sukhbir thanked the Union Minister for "giving a push" to the efforts of the SAD-BJP alliance government in making Punjab a model state in the skill development sector.
"1,000 more such centres are likely to be sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship," he said, adding special emphasis will be laid on training youth of the state in job oriented courses.
He said in next the five years all 12,000 villages of the state will be equipped with solar lights, sewerage system and clean drinking water facilities.
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In Ludhiana, the minister announced that two international -level multi-skill development centeRs will come up in the city.
He assured that the Centre will provide all possible help to the state government for its "Make in Punjab" initiative.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said five multi -skill development centers and 200 rural skill development centers have been made operational in the state.
At least 1 lakh youths will be imparted skill development training in these centres every year. The trained youths would be given free toolkit and subsidised loans to help them start their own ventures, he said.
Badal said the state government wants to open a skill development center for every 10 villages. The proposal for setting up a skill university in Punjab would be okayed in the cabinet meeting on November 15.
He said his party will release the names of SAD candidates contesting the assembly polls in the next three days.
