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| GOI to get crucial World Bank aided project "Vocational Training Improvement Project" to JK again | | Livelihood generation to become top priority | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 1: The Central government is all set to get the World Bank aided project "Vocational Training Improvement Project" to Jammu and Kashmir once again in order to provide new livelihood opportunities to the educated jobless youth.
As per the sources privy to this development, the government is seriously mulling to the much important project will be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir with a sole objective to get youth involved in job oriented vocational trainings, equipping them enough to get livelihood opportunities.
Earlier, this crucial project had to be aborted thanks to the non- seriousness of the previous regimes of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the past, implementation of the World Bank aided project "Vocational Training Improvement Project" had been tardy due to under-utilization of funds, delay in procurement of equipment and construction of buildings. Out of 1608 trainees who passed out during 2008-13, there were only 395 persons to whom the jobs were provided while as 1213 candidates after undergoing the hectic training stages were left in lurch.
There were allegations that the partial approach was adopted by the previous government in providing jobs to the trained youth under this scheme and that political interference and domination did the magic as usual.
The procurement of machinery and equipment valuing 1.89 crore rupees which constituted 20 percent of the approved IDP cost of the 9.67 crore rupees. The programme ended with a sour note in November 2014 while the youth who had undergone training under this scheme with the hope to be accorded jobs had to leave empty handed.
As per the records available with the Early Times, the Government of India (GOI) launched in April 2007 a Vocational Training Improvement Project (VTIP) in the central sector with the assistance coming from the World Bank. It was aimed to upgrade 500 ITIs over the next five years at a rate of 100 ITIs a year.
Meanwhile, the state government didn't leave any stone unturned to even make World Bank aggrieved and dismayed from JK. Against the total release of 20.98 crores during 2008-2014, the government here could utilize only 16.26 crore, resulting in under-utilization of funds. Also the delay in release of the state share funds from the administrative department to ITIs in JK ranged from 11 days to 178 days.
Brazenly, the state government turned the blind eye towards the open embezzlement of the funds under this scheme by several officials. The goods, equipments, furniture and books worth lakhs of rupees purchased under the programme were issued to other non-VTIP programs without any fear of the ramifications.
Also, the Management Information System (MIS) was the basis for effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project and was expected to be operational within six months from the commencement of the project. For this purpose, around 56 lakhs were sanctioned in the year 2010-12 as central share by the GOI for the purchase of computers. "Despite the receipt of 41.30 lakh during 2012-14, the state government belatedly utilized 33.33 lakhs in March 2014 to purchase computers resulting in non- implementation of the MIS," mentions the CAG report this year, adding that the project proved to be a tardy one due to the under utilization of funds by the state government. |
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