Sushil Shinde with Somnath Chatterjee in Andal. Picture by Gour Sharma

Andal, Feb. 11: Union power minister Sushil Shinde today said the government would collaborate with industrial training institutes (ITI) to train youths whose family had to give up land for power plants.

The minister was here to lay the foundation stone of the Damodar Valley Corporation’s 1,000MW Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station.

Shinde said Delhi would try to provide jobs to at least one member of each land-losing family in central sector projects.

“We don’t want to neglect people who are giving up their plots for power plants. We have decided to organise a six months’ training programme for youths in collaboration with ITIs to produce skilled and semi-skilled workers,” the minister said.

Training camps would be set up in places where there are no ITIs, he added.

CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee and industries minister Nirupam Sen were present with Shinde on the dais.

Before Shinde’s announcement, villagers whose land had been acquired for the thermal power station had gathered at the venue, waving placards and chanting slogans demanding jobs.

“Don’t lose patience. Please be quiet and listen to our plans,” Shinde urged the crowd.

The plant is scheduled to generate power from 2010.

The state power department and power supplying agencies welcomed the Centre’s move. However, they added that the state had begun training youths in skilled and semi-skilled jobs in power plants about two years ago.

Two technical institutes have been set up in Sagardighi and Bakreswar, where new power units are coming up.

Recently, Tata Motors had entered into an agreement with the state government to train youths at technical institutes for its small-car plant in Singur.

The DVC today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four ITIs in Bengal. Under the pact, DVC will provide funds for infrastructure development in the institutes and for the training programme. “The DVC will provide Rs 12 crore,” the corporation’s chairman, Asim Barman, said.

Shinde said there was a power shortfall of 25,000MW across the country, about 9 per cent of the total demand. But, he added, people would get power on demand by 2012.

“In the last three five-year plans, the country has added a capacity of 56,000MW, but in the 11th plan we have decided to add another 80,000MW, which will help us supply power to all by 2012,” the minister said.