File Criminal Cases against PIAs Failed to Provide Skill Education: K'taka Minister

Congress government in Karnataka has cracked the whip against the eight project implementing agencies (PIA) that have failed to provide skill education to the candidates even after getting the financial aid from the State Government under the Deen Dayal Grameen Kaushalya Yojana.

Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Sharan Prakash Patil on Thursday instructed the officials to blacklist the companies and file criminal cases against them immediately.

Expressing his displeasure against the agencies that have failed to implement the Government’s ambitious scheme aimed at providing vocational training to those studying diploma, ITI and other job-oriented courses, Patil directed officials to file criminal cases against them in the jurisdictional police stations.

The minister also instructed officials to blacklist the errant PIAs immediately and not to issue tenders to such firms in the future. He directed the officials to recover Rs 74.65 crore with the interest from the PIAs for violating the rules of this scheme which is being implemented jointly by the central and state governments to provide vocational training for candidates studying job-oriented courses in rural and urban areas.

The agencies that have failed to achieve the desired goal will be considered as defaulters and action will be taken against officials who have released funds to these companies. The minister asked the officials to collect the complete details of some of these agencies that are functioning from other states and inform the Centre and prevent them from receiving any funds.

He also ordered a probe against unqualified agencies promising to provide training by giving false information and warned of strict disciplinary action against officials if they fail to act.

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana was started on September 25, 2014 on the 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help unemployed youths find jobs and achieve something on their own.

The scheme is aimed at providing free vocational training or skill education to youths from 18 to 35 years of age across the country and help them get employed in the private sector.