Set up skill-development centres for youth: Punjab CM

The initiative would serve two purposes- one, provide unemployed youth skill training and second, wean them away from drugs menace

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked the National Bank for Agriculture and Development (Nabard) to bring out a special scheme for setting up skill-development centres in villages across the state. This, Badal said, would serve two purposes — provide unemployed youth skill training and wean them away from drugs menace.

Addressing a gathering on the 33rd foundation day of Nabard here on Saturday, the chief minister said it was practically not feasible for the government to absorb the entire youth in the services sector due to limited job opportunities and high merit.

He added the only alternative left with the state government was to impart skill-development training to the youth so that they could stand on their feet on their own. He also asked Nabard to work out modalities in this regard by prior consultation with the state government for effective implementation of the scheme.

Seeking whole-hearted support and co-operation from Nabard and its nationalised and co-operative banks to fund the state government’s missionary program of setting up rehabilitation centers for the drug addicts, Badal asked it them to contribute generously under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) head towards this cause.