Centre proposes to upgrade 280 ITIs in Telangana

Telangana govt in coming months would come up with a definitive final plan on this

Union Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Thursday said his ministry was ready to equip the 280 state-government identified industrial training institutes (ITIs) with modern tools and machinery, besides creating “ideal ITIs” at two locations in Hyderabad.

While the Telangana government in the coming months would come up with a definitive final plan on this, the Centre, through a new ‘Skill Upgradation Corporation’ would monitor the progress of the upcoming ideal ITIs in the country.

Speaking to mediapersons here, he said they would introduce a key legislation that proposes a complete ban on child labour in all sectors in the winter session of Parliament.

The proposed amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment (CLPRA) Bill, pending since December 2012, ban employment of children below 14 years in any occupation, besides prohibiting employment of adolescents aged 14-18 years in hazardous occupations.

For the rehabilitation of the affected child labour, he said the Centre would kickstart the concept of bridge schools across various locations in the country.     

State labour minister N Narasimha Reddy said the Union minister had promised financial support for their plan to own private lands on which ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) centres were located.

He said beedi workers in the state, mostly women, would get to access Rs 45,000-100,000 for building affordable homes. This form part of the ministry's efforts to expand the healthcare access to unorganised labour in collaboration with the state.

The Union minister on Nov 21 is holding a review meeting here with the officials of all the departments of labour and employment ministry.