UP a step closer to PPP model in tech education

Uttar Pradesh, which is planning to implement the public-private partnership (PPP) model in technical education, received a major boost as a committee, formed to study the model being followed in other states, has submitted its report to the state government.

In first phase, UP wants to hand over 25 polytechnics and 125 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to a private partner after bidding.

The six-member committee headed by UP Special Secretary, technical education, Ram Ganesh had visited Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Haryana to study the PPP route in technical education.

“The report has been submitted to the principal secretary. The report will now be put before the state chief secretary for action,” official sources told Business Standard.

The committee also gave heard the grievances to the agitating UP State ITI & Polytechnic Joint Action Committee (JAC), which alleges the state wants to privatise institutions having valuable land worth several hundred crores of rupees under the garb of PPP.

There are about 106 and 156 polytechnics and ITIs located at prime locations in UP. They have total staff strength of around 20,000 including teachers and employees.

Last year, the government had short listed five firms for filing Request for Proposal (RFP) to take the process forward. However, it was put on hold.

The committee was actually constituted to placate the teachers and employees opposing the PPP agenda.

JAC convener Ashok Kushwaha, who was a committee member, said the PPP model in other states was entirely different and pro-active.

“The Rajasthan government has invited the private sector to open new institutes in un-served areas by giving them sops, unlike the UP government efforts to offer existing institutes to the private partner,” he said to assert his point.

He suggested that the government should establish new institutes under the PPP rather than focusing on the existing units, which were giving training to the poor students at low fee structure.