Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the State Government has begun preliminary procedures to set up a Maritime university in the state.
He was laying the foundation stone for the Maritime Institute at Neendakara near here. Chandy said that Ports Minister K Babu has been directed to identify about 60 acres of land for setting up the university.
The Chief Minister said that water transport is one sector which could create a good number of job opportunities.
Currently, the country has been utilising only 7 percent of the potential for coastal and water transport. The institutions like Maritime Institute are being set up foreseeing such possibilities, he said.
As many as 36 courses will be conducted at the institute.
The construction of the Kodungalloor campus of the Maritime Institute will also be completed along with that at Neendakara.
The headquarters of the institute will be at Neendakara. On the State Maritime Board, he said that the State Government is awaiting the nod from the Central Government to set up the Board.
Ommen Chandy said that the State Government has been giving utmost importance to employability centres, a concept put forward by Labour Minister Shibu Baby John. The centres will be set up at Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Kollam.
Ports Minister K Babu presided over the function. Labour Minister Shibu Baby John, District Panchayat president S Jayamohan, civic body members, political party representatives, Ports Department Secretary and training coordinator of the institute A Ratnakumar attended.