HYDERABAD: Going by the condition of the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Mallepally, the state government has its task cut out when it comes to implementing its plans to upgrade the ITIs in the state to Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) with the aim of providing skill development with advanced technologies.
The ITI at Mallepally, the oldest in Telangana, is the same ITI where the chief minister laid the foundation stone for the construction of an ATC in June. Such a construction, however, would exacerbate the issue of space and resources such as security and attendants.
A visit by TNIE to the site revealed that the Mallepally campus, already congested with five ITIs—Mallepally, Shantinagar, Vijaynagar, Khairatabad, and Sanathnagar—will now have to accommodate five new ATCs. The Department of Employment and Training (DET) website lists eight government ITIs in the city, but Vijaynagar, Khairatabad, Mallepally and Shantinagar ITIs all share the same address.
The Department of Employment and Training (DET) has listed eight government ITIs in the area, but Vijay Nagar, Khairatabad, Mallepally, and Shanti Nagar ITIs all share the same address, further straining the campus.
TNIE found that two trade sheds of the Mallepally ITI have been demolished to construct the Khairatabad and Shantinagar ATCs. Although the trade of Book Binding was scrapped to make way for the new construction, the trade of Foundryman has yet to receive replacement facilities and a shed of its own.
Established in 1957, the Mallepally ITI currently offers 21 trades with 37 units, accommodating over 700 students. However, several workshops, including Turner, Fitter, Machinist, and CNC, urgently require new machinery, as the existing equipment has been in use for decades.
Mallepally ITI principal P Jyothi Rani told TNIE: “As of now construction work on four ATCs is underway and it will start soon for the Mallepally ATC.”
She welcomed the government’s decision to upgrade the ITIs saying that new trades would be useful in skill enhancements of students. “However, the government needs to upgrade the machinery in some of the workshops as some of the machines are over 60 years old,” Jyothi Rani said.
Faculty members pointed out that while the syllabus has changed over the years, the same machines have been put to use for practical training in the workshops.
In addition, the ITI also faces a severe shortage of attendants and security. They said that while at least 22 personnel are required, only six people are available.
Recently, the Sanathnagar ITI which was earlier located in Czech Colony, was also moved to the Mallepally campus due to nonavailability of land, the officials said.
Sanathnagar ITI principal R Srinivasa Rao told TNIE: “ The ITI was moved to the Mallepally campus as there seemed to be some issue related to space for the building. We have been provided a separate facility in the Mallepally campus near Nice Hospital for workshops and classes. Our ITI has nine trades and 15 units with an intake of 224 students.”
Shockingly, the Khairatabad ITI, which will also have a dedicated ATC, still does not have a building of its own since its inception in 2014. The ITI has been under the umbrella of the Mallepally ITI campus all these years. The Khairatabad ITI is now sharing space with the Sanathnagar ITI, with the uncertainty over a dedicated facility of its own continuing to loom over it.
Khairatabad ITI principal K Vema Reddy said: “The Khairatabad ITI has three trades and six units with an intake of 64 students. At present we are accommodated with the Sanathnagar ITI facility and discussions are underway to provide a separate facility for us.”
The state government allocated Rs 708 lakh to the Employment and Training Department for the FY 2024-25. This was less than the revised estimate of Rs 724 lakh in FY 2023-24. In fact, the Budget estimate for FY 2023-24 had sanctioned Rs 680 lakh, but it was raised to Rs 724 lakh in the revised estimate.
However, the reality is that the Mallepally ITI is not receiving any funds, except for the employee salaries. To cover maintenance costs, a portion of the campus was rented out for over a decade.
Officials, requesting anonymity, said that most ITIs in the state have not received any funds for at least five years. They expressed hope that the government’s initiative to upgrade the ITIs would also include the release of funds to improve the conditions of these institutions.