Bring ITI back to Kharar, demand residents, traders

The lone Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for girls in Kharar, which was operational in the city since 1964 has been shifted to neighbouring Radiala village.

The lone Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for girls in Kharar, which was operational in the city since 1964 has been shifted to neighbouring Radiala village. This was done after an order by the state government saying the institute was functioning in ‘unsafe’ premises, ITI head teacher Manjeet Kaur said.

She added that as the local administration had failed to provide an alternative site for the institute, which was also under a legal dispute, the Department of Industrial Training and Technical Education was left with no option but to shift the premises.

The residents and representatives of the town, however, have demanded that the order be immediately withdrawn.

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Congress MLA from Kharar, Balbir Sidhu said the present government, instead of providing new facilities is snatching away the old ones. He also urged the government to shift back the ITI and said a new institute can be set up Radiala village, if needed.

In a joint representation to Punjab Technical Education Minister Ch Swarna Ram, representatives from various trade and political organisations also demanded that the institute be shifted to Kharar.

The representatives included presidents of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Cloth Merchants’ Association, Retail Haryana Merchants Association, Chemists Association, Lions Club, Nanumal Dharamsala Trust and Durga Bhajan Mandali.

They said that with the shifting of the institute, local girls have been deprived of a facility they were availing since long.

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They further demanded that new courses be added and the institute be modernised for providing more facilities to the local girls.