Punjab Labour and Forest Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat has stated that the Punjab is committed for promoting skill development amongst the children of building construction workers. He said that is why, many Skill Development Centres are being opened in different parts of the state. Mr Bhagat said this after laying the foundation stone of "Dr B R Ambedkar Skill Development Centre" at Urban Estate Phase 2 & 3 Byepass, Dugri Road, here today. This particular Skill Development Centre is being constructed with a cost of around Rs 10 crore on 1.6 acres of land.In another function, Mr Chunni Lal Bhagat and Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal distributed cheques and bicycles to building construction workers and other beneficiaries at Guru Nanak Bhawan, here today.While speaking on the occasion, Mr Chunni Lal Bhagat said that a total of four such Skill Development Centres for children of building construction workers are being constructed in different cities of the state, namely Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mohali. These Skill Development Centres are being constructed by Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and for this purpose, they have purchased land from PUDA and respective Improvement Trusts. For imparting training, the board has already signed an MoU with Punjab Skill Development Mission.He said that the construction of Dr B R Ambedkar Skill Development Centre, here, started in January this year and is expected to complete by December 2016. He said that once complete, the students would be imparted training in eight different trades such as Shuttering, Carpenter, Bar binder, Plumber, Architect, Electrician, Mason and Painter. This centre would train around 1,600 students every year and it would also have a hostel with the capacity of 150 and a night shelter with capacity of 200, besides offices. This particular Dr B R Ambedkar Skill Development Centre is being constructed by Punjab Police Housing Corporation.
While addressing the gathering, Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal said that the workers should emphasize more on giving proper education to their children because without education, one cannot grow in today's competitive world. He also congratulated the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for building a Skill Development Centre on the name of Dr BR Ambedkar at Ludhiana. He said that it was only because of the leadership of Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal that several welfare schemes have been started for the welfare of weaker sections of the society.Under the scholarship scheme started for the children of building construction workers, the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board is providing scholarship of Rs 3000 to Rs 60,000 for boys and Rs 4000 to Rs 70000 for girls. Similarly, under the ex-gratia scheme, Rs 3 lakh is given to family in case of natural death and Rs 4 lakh in case of either accidental death or 100 percent disability. Mr Bhagat informed that the board also provides Rs 31000 under Shagun scheme, Rs 2000 under LTC scheme, Rs 20000 for general surgery, besides several others. He said that for availing of any scheme, one has to be registered with the board for atleast one year.Even bicycles are distributed amongst the building constriction workers and their children and under this scheme, an order for purchasing 8377 bicycles has already been placed by the board. Today, several bicycles were distributed amongst the workers and their children.Prominent among those present on the occasion included former minister Mr Sat Pal Gosain, BJP District President Mr Ravinder Arora, BJP leader Mr Mahinder Bhagat, Principal Secretary Labour Dr Roshan Sunkaria, Labour Commissioner cum Secretary Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Mr Sodhi Mal, Deputy Commissioner Mr Ravi Bhagat, SDM Mr Paramjit Singh, besides several others.