Himachal CM asks Technical Education dept to devise utilisation plan for vacant buildings

Shimla, Nov 4 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday expressed concern over some buildings under the Technical Education department lying vacant and exhorted the officials to find a solution for their optimum utilisation.

Reviewing the functioning of the department here, the CM said that as many as seven structures under the department built for Rs 126.45 crore between 2018 and 2023 were lying vacant, and stressed that wastage of public funds in the name of mere construction was unacceptable.

He directed the department to formulate a plan for the optimum utilisation of these buildings in the public interest, he said in a statement issued here.

The CM also instructed the department to grade the industrial training institutes and polytechnic colleges in the state as per the enrolment of the students, overall performance and other facilities available in these institutions.

He also stressed introducing new-age courses in the technical education institutions to ensure that youths were trained for emerging employment sectors and expressed satisfaction over the introduction of the M. Tech (EV-Tech) course at Hydro Engineering College in Bilaspur district.

The CM said that the state government was promoting innovation, and 'State Innovation and Start-Up Policy-2025' was underway to encourage entrepreneurship.

According to the statement, the government was also contemplating establishing a Digital University of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Skill and Vocational Studies at Ghumarwin in Bilaspur, for which 258 bighas of land had been identified.

He also reviewed the functioning of Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam and Himachal Pradesh Takniki Shiksha Board and issued necessary directions for bringing improvements in their functioning. PTI BPL AMJ AMJ