Bhubaneswar : Skill development programmes for five long years would be undertaken soon to help the coastal communities in Ganjam and Jagatisnghpur districts. The District Action Plans are being examined to develop skill of fishermen as they are linked to port-related development under the ambitious programme of Sagarmala.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi has asked the Department of Commerce & Transport and the Department of Skill Development and Technical Education to jointly work out the programmes in consultation with the two district administrations.
Commerce & Transport Secretary Sanjay Rastogi and Skill Development & Technical Education Secretary Sanjay Singh would chalk out the implementation strategy in consultation with the district Collectors, said sources.
As the Union Ministry of Shipping is implementing the Sagarmala project along with ports’ development, industrialization and Smart City development, improvement of the fishermen community would be undertaken in the two districts, where the ports of Paradip and Gopalpur are located.
The Shipping Ministry has allocated Rs 110 crore for development of fishermen in 21 coastal districts of the country, out of which Odisha has the share of two districts.
While Dharma is also a commercial port, the concerned district of Bhadrakh has not been listed in the first phase but would be taken up in the second phase, said sources.
Shipping Secretary Ravikant has brought to the notice of the State Government that a detailed study was taken up by the Ministry to know the ‘skill gap’ in Jagatsinghpur and Ganjam districts. The study report included the training facilities and infrastructure available and what more is needed so that the gap can be filled up in the latest exercise to develop skilled manpower in the port zones.
As per the study report, District Action Plans are chalked out for taking up the projects. Each district would implement its Action Plan, and the Ministry of Shipping would fund a few skill development projects relating to the port and maritime sector in convergence mode.
Efforts would be made to involve the private sector, and projects would be taken up through public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the National Skill Development Corporation and the Ministry of Rural Development would extend support in this regard, said Ravikant.
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