Kendrapara, May 26: The State Institute of Plumbing Technology, the country's only institute dedicated to plumbing, at Pattamundai, is back in focus following a visit by the newly appointed Skill Development Authority chairperson Subroto Bagchi.
The visit has raised hopes of the institute, which chief minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated in October 2010, of getting a facelift.
The student intake capacity of the institute is likely to increase with Bagchi, who interacted with students and the faculty members on May 21, emphasising its need to upgrade.
"The region finds a pride of place across the globe for bringing out skilled plumbers. It's heartening to note that the services of plumbers from Kendrapara are widely sought after. It is high time the institute was upgraded," said Baghchi.
Kendrapara district, especially its Pattamundai belt, has been the nursery of skilled plumbers, who have made their presence felt not only in various parts of the country, but also abroad. Their services are much in demand in the Middle East.
"The authority chief interacted with plumbing students and was impressed with their skills," said institute principal Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak.
He said the National Council for Vocational Training had approved the institute's proposal for increasing its seat strength.
"From the next academic session, we are hopeful that the institute will be able enrol 43 more students. Its current strength is 84," said Nayak.
In 2010, the institute started with 21 students, but the number of seats went up with growing demands for the course. Nayak said around 300 graduates from the institute are now employed, with some having landed jobs abroad.
Tapan Mallik, a plumber who graduated from the institute, said: "I have set up my plumbing firm in Bhubaneswar and engaged around 50 skilled workers."
He said most of his classmates from the 2010 batch were earning well, with some having bagged jobs in the Middle East.
Plumbing is a significant economic activity in this no-industry district with Pattamundai, Rajnagar and Aul regions carving out a special place for themselves in the trade.
There are families in which plumbing skills pass from one generation to the other as a matter of hereditary right. An official estimate puts the number of plumbers who have migrated overseas at 20,000. Like nurses from Kerala, plumbers from Kendrapara are recognised globally.
