Centre to help skilling projects: Rajeev Pratap Rudy

Kottayam: Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurs Rajeev Pratap Rudy on Tuesday said the pilot projects from the state under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana would get 'due importance'. While inaugurating the rubber tapper skill development project of the Rubber Board at the Rubber Research Institute of India here, he assured support to projects in any field.

“Though we have many skilled persons in our country, they have never been identified as skilled. And for that reason, the Prime Minister has decided that every person who has skills, whether it is traditional or home grown, should be properly lauded, and, should be assessed,” he said. "The Union govt is planning to create a world class training centre for overseas employment." Agriculture minister V. S. Sunil Kumar who presided over the function stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between Rubber Board and state’s agriculture department.

He has convened a meeting of the board officials and agriculture department on December 20 in Thiruvananthapuram for this purpose. He also supported intercropping in rubber plantations and linking the activities of rubber producers’ societies  with civic bodies. Rubber Board chairman A. Ajith Kumar, secretary Viju Chacko, director (training) P. Sudha, and National Skill Development Center  chief programme officer Vishal Sharma also spoke.