Indian aid to develop vocational training

India to spend Rs. 2,669 million:

Suraj A BANDARA

The Indian government will provide a financial grant of Rs. 2,669 million to upgrade four vocational training institutes in the North and East provinces which operate under the Sri Lanka Vocational Training Authority and to establish two new centres.

Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard at the ministry auditorium recently.

Rs. 339 million will be spent to upgrade the centres at Vantharamoolai and Onthachchimadam in Batticaloa. The Sri Lankan government will spend Rs. 30 million for this project. Nuwara Eliya district vocational training centre will be upgraded with Rs. 205 million from the Indian government and Rs. 25 million from the Sri Lankan government. Kanthale vocational training centre will be upgraded with Rs. 675 million from the Indian government and Rs. 84 million from the Sri Lankan government.

Two new vocational training centres will be established in Kaithadi of Jaffna and Omanthai of Vavuniya. A total of Rs. 548 will be spent on the training centre in Kaithadi of which Rs. 69 million will be provided by the Sri Lankan government while Rs. 790 million will be spent on the centre in Omanthai of which Rs. 84 million will be spend by the Sri Lankan government.