Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced the setting up of a skill development authority, which is to be chaired by Subroto Bagchi, one of the founders of a leading IT firm Mindtree Ltd.
“The state government attaches the highest priority to the skill development of the youth in Odisha. In an effort to bring convergence amongst the skill development programme implemented by various departments and to scale up the activities both in qualitative and quantitative terms, it was felt that there is an urgent need to have a unified authority. In this context, we are starting the Odisha Skill Development Authority(OSDA) that will guide and implement all skill development programmes in the state to ensure quality training standards and sustained employ-ability of trained youths, Patnaik told the assembly.
The chief minister said Bagchi, a well known entrepreneur, has accepted the state’s invitation to provide leadership to the proposed authority. “He will be given the rank of cabinet minister and all the support necessary to make a difference to the youth of the state,” said Patnaik. Bagchi will draw a token salary of Re 1 per year for his services to the state, he added.
An official said Bagchi will start his work by visiting all the 30 districts of the state to have a first-hand understanding of the initiatives on the ground. He will then submit his recommendations based on which a detailed programme will be worked out, said the official.
“The authority will bring convergence amongst skill development programmes across the departments and create a momentum for thousands of young boys and girls to receive skill training in a truly professional manner so that they are valued in national and international markets,” said the chief minister.
Accepting the invitation of the state, Bagchi said in a statement, “I am deeply humbled and honored to serve my motherland. This is the state that nourished me. Now it is time to give back.”
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