Hyderabad, June 28: Andhra Pradesh has been chosen again to launch a skill-development programme among village youths as part of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to utilise job opportunities generated by the penetration of 3G broadband technology in rural areas.

S. Ramadurai, national employment mission adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, called on chief minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to discuss the modalities for launching the scheme on an experimental basis in the state.

In 2007, too, the state had been chosen by the UPA I government for the launch of the employment guarantee scheme. The food-for-work programme 2005 was also launched in Andhra.

Under the skill-development scheme, those who have passed Class X or have enrolled in technical or engineering courses can join the programme.

“The objective is to promote technology penetration and create job opportunities in rural areas and contain migration to cities,” Ramadurai said.

Ramadurai said a committee headed by him and comprising representatives of banks, Nabard, the ministry of finance, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Planning Commission had been set up to assess how to enhance skill development for employment in rural areas.

“The effort is to promote skilled manpower at the rural level to exploit the opportunity provided by penetration of broadband through 3G connectivity,” the former TCS chief said.

The Centre will bear the cost of training the youths and incentives for participants.

Andhra has topped the country in the implementation of the employment guarantee scheme. According to the latest records, the anti-poverty programme launched by UPA I in Andhra in 2007 provided wage-linked work to 1.21 crore jobless people who were paid Rs 1,041 crore in wages.

Thanks to the efficient implementation of the employment scheme in the state, labourers now get Rs 120 in wages per day.

The Kiran Reddy government is also mulling a new programme called Yuva Kiranalu to set up skill-development centres in all educational institutions in rural areas. “Now we can draw resources from the NREGS as well,” said a spokesperson for the chief minister’s office.