AGARTALA, Feb 10 (TIWN): Central Govt's bold initiatives in promoting skill development missions across India resulted Tripura's skill development mission. However, due to lame duck Chief Minister's penchant for corrupt officials, Centre's every good initiative is turning into jackpot of corruption under CPI-M era. With Central funding, Tripura Govt had built Skill Development Mission 7 yrs back in 2010 but Manik Sarkar picked up a non-technical retd. official like S.K.Panda to lead State's Skill Development Mission. Instead of reducing the number of unemployed youths, the rate is now 7 lakhs and the long cherished Skill Development Mission’s experiment failed pathetically under Panda. Other than wasting central funds, it has only benefited few of the CPI-M’s boot lickers officers under Skill Development Mission. Former Chief Secretary & Union Textiles Secretary, its quite pathetically Sanjay Kumar Panda chosen much lower ranking job at Skill Development Mission. S.K.Panda came under massive allegation for selling his ‘C’ class book in various Govt Depts of Tripura by using Central Govt's RMSA funds. (1 + 1)=11’s hero S K Panda knows well how to make '11' without any number. Regarding the Skill Development Mission of Tripura, Govt said that the number of persons trained in Tripura are : 37,068, whereas the number of employed are : 1,355 only.

Moreover, although the number of trained persons are 37,068 but the persons who were Certified only 13,842. But surprising matter is that the details about the trainers are not available in the website.

Most importantly, a keen look shows that maximum workshops or trainings are based on 1 day programme. In this condition skill development can reduce the “Unemployment” rate or not it’s not clear, but a hefty bank accounts are made by Manik Sarkar’s boot lickers.

In 2015, reportedly Panda sent a 4 yearly budget for Skill Development. The budget was as :

2016-17 : 48,713 crores,

2017-18 : 67,764 crores

2018-19 : 66,689 crores

2019-20 : 66, 709 crores

That means in four years Panda’s budget is at around : 2, 49,875 crores. Already 17 private organizations will be benefited out of Panda’s miracle.

In the name of skill development Panda is finishing with some time-passing with unemployed youths of state  and thus the Skill Development Mission remained just as a joke to the unemployed youths of Tripura.

The next plan is that the Govt will send offer letters to the youths who have been trained under Skill Development and they will run the Mission. Thus it can be imagined what will be that shape of Central Govt’s skill development projects in Tripura.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2015, July 15 launched the Skill India campaign on the occasion of the first World Youth Skills Day in view of opening a war against poverty in the country. The budget for skill development has also been increased as Jaitley in his budget allocated Rs 3,016 crore as against Rs 2,173 crore last year. He said under the next phase of Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE), the government will be spending Rs 2,200 crore. 

However, as part of the programme the Tripura government received a hefty fund and had taken up certain initiatives just for name-sake under the skill development training programme, which was said to meet the cry of youths especially the youths of the rural areas, but alas in these 2 years unemployment rate instead of decreasing it’s increasing  .