BHUBANESWAR: The provision of Rs 478 crore in Budget 2020 towards programme expenditure of skill development and technical education (SDTE) sector has paved the way for functioning of the World Skill Centre (WSC) from 2020-21 academic session.
The WSC at Mancheswar in the city was supposed to start from this year. However, poor allocation funds delayed functioning of the centre by a year.
The Standing Committee of SDTE Department in its report last year had raised concern over allocation of Rs 100 crore for the centre and suggested enhancement of budget provision to Rs 400 crore for early implementation of the project.
The State Government this year made a budget provision of Rs 199 crore for the skill centre.
Official from the SDTE department said the fund is expected to the centre function from next academic session.
The Government in August 2018 had decided to set up World Skill Centre at investment of Rs 1342.2 crore.
Accordingly, it decided to invest Rs 748.20 crore and signed an MoU with the Asian Development Bank to take another Rs 594 crore loan for execution of the project.
Tipped to be India’s first and one-of-its-kind skill centre, the WSC has been planned to come up at newly-constructed 18-storey building constructed by IDCO at Mancheswar.
Sources said the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) has initiated process to take the building into its possession to run the centre.
Officials said the World Skill Centre is expected to be readied by July and one-year advanced skill training courses will be rolled out in a phased manner from August for students who have completed ITI and Diploma.