Bhagalpur, Jan. 20: Thirty women have been selected for a six-week-long training programme on cutting and stitching at Khankitta panchayat of Sabour block in the district.

UCO Rural Self-Employment Training Institute, Bhagalpur, launched the skill development programme on December 27 last year. It is taking help of Nabard to implement it through Gram Didi, a non-government organisation.

UCO Bank’s lead district manager Dipak Kumar Ghosh, Nabard district development manager Nabin Kumar Roy and Usha Sinha, the Gram Didi secretary, yesterday interviewed more than 80 applicants for the programme. They turned up following intensive publicity campaigns — public announcements and advertisements in local vernacular dailies.

“Most of the applicants wished to augment their household income by acquiring cutting and stitching skills. At the end of the interview, a list of 30 trainees was finalised,” said Roy.

“The programme will continue for another six weeks,” said Sinha.