To give a thrust to the up gradation of Industrial Training Institutions (ITI) and push forward the public private partnership (PPP) model which has shown dismal progress, labour and employment ministry took stock of the existing situation.In a meeting chaired by labour and employment secretary Sudha Pillai on Wednesday, states were asked to take up these initiatives at the highest level to make ITIs a success. The meeting was attended by principal secretaries or secretaries of more than 20 states, all of whom expressed their intentions of taking forward the PPP model in ITIs on a priority basis.Speaking to The Indian Express on the sidelines of the Ficci conference, director general employment and training Sharda Prasad said the ministry reviewed the progress of various schemes launched by the government, including upgradation of ITIs and the PPP model. It also looked at transparency issues afflicting these institutes. For upgradation of 500 ITIs under vocational training improvement project, World Bank has extended support to the tune of $280 million and $400 million will be chipped in by state governments, he informed.In the past, industry bodies have complained about the slow pace of movement in PPP model where states have been delaying the process of signing of Memorandum of Understanding. At the meeting, issues regarding interaction with industry were also taken up where most of the state governments admitted that while there were no major bottlenecks, it was difference in the functioning that was causing delays. Apart from the 300 ITIs that were taken up under PPP mode last year, additional 300 will be taken up this year, informed Prasad. Of these 300, 60 proposals have already been received and for the remaining, state governments have asked for time till mid-September for clearance.
