Solar charkha model to generate employment for 5cr women: Minister

PATNA: Junior Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh said there should be no politics in development and took a potshot on Nitish government saying though many people talk about ‘Badhta Bihar’ few actually worked towards it.

Inaugurating a Tool Room and Training Centre (TRTC) on the MSME Development Institute campus here on Saturday, Singh said, “It is the bad luck of this state that there is politics in everything. Elsewhere, I have seen politicians cutting across party lines and working for the people’s welfare. In Bihar, it’s all about allegations and counter allegations. It is sad to see non-execution of programmes on the state government’s front.”

Singh said the state and Centre need to work together for growth. The statement came after state industries minister Shyam Rajak, who was slated to grace the event, gave the function a miss.

Terming TRTC a milestone in Bihar’s development, Singh said, “We also want to set up clusters in the state. LED bulb clusters in Patna City, silk cluster in Nawada, lac and litchi cluster in north Bihar.But, the state government needs to provide land for the same.”

Citing stats, Singh said 1.25 crore people are employed in heavy industries sector in India which has an investment of about Rs 11 lakh crore, but the MSME sector with its 5.77 crore units has given employment to over 14 crore people. “NaMo’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Made in India’ dream will be realized through MSMEs only. Our ‘solar charkha’ model, which will be launched from Nawada, aims to employ 5 crore women across the country,” Singh said.

The TRTC, with its latest technology machines, will impart vocational training to students in the state and improve their skill, Singh said and added, “In developed countries, over 70% people are skilled. But in India, the corresponding figure is just about 2%. When PM Narendra Modi (NaMo) came to power, people thought everyone will get employment. But, for employment you need to be skilled.” He urged Bihar government to associate all polytechnic institutes and industrial training institutes (ITIs) with the TRTC.

There are several two-week to four-year certificate courses offered at the TRTC for which the qualification ranges from Class IX pass to MTech. The SC/ST students will get free training with hostel facility. “We request the state government to provide for their food,” Singh said. A skill development institute in Bihar is also in the offing.

Union minister of state for drinking water and sanitation Ram Kripal Yadav said, “Those who were responsible for the governance in the state didn’t take any initiative for its development in the last so many years. Over 60% people in Bihar are dependent on agriculture but for development small industries also need to be developed.”

Leader of opposition in Bihar legislative assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, MLA Nitin Navin, MSME ministry special secretary-cum-development commissioner Amarendra Sinha and state industries department principal secretary Tripurari Sharan were also present on the occasion.

Courtesy: TNN