From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 17: With ‘work from home’ and ‘work from anywhere’ concepts becoming most popular in the present situation following after the COVID 19 lockdown, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has promised to convene a meeting of all stakeholders for improving the communication network in Karnataka.
Reviewing the performance and functioning of the Information Technology, Bio-Technology and Science and Technology Departments through video conferencing from his home office, Krishna, in Bengaluru on Wednesday, he said improving the communication network in the private and public sector would help in ensuring faster delivery of performances in the government offices and other establishments.
The Chief Minister said Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwatha Narayan, who is heading the IT/BT, Science and Technology and Skills Development Departments as also the Department officers were in regular touch with the technology sector and have extended the State Government’s full moral support during the COVID 19 and lockdown situation.
He complimented the exemplary service and contribution of several start-ups in helping the people during the lockdown period and also helping the government in handling the COVID-19 control efforts.
The State Government was examining the establishment of the medical equipment manufacture and technology sector zone in the near future.
Experts Panel for ITIs
The Chief Minister asked the officials to constitute an experts panel for looking after the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) comprising of the experts from the industrial sectors as members.
Yediyurappa said the experts’ panel would be tasked with improving the quality standards of the ITIs and also ensure employment opportunities to the students.
As many as 112 ITIs in the State have entered with collaboration agreements with industries, the Chief Minister said asking officials to enlist the support and cooperation of more industries and also provide training opportunities in the areas having more demand.
Yediyurappa said the Department was proposing to start training facilities and courses based on the needs of the industries from the coming year in order to help in creation of more job opportunities to the youth.
The Chief Minister said the State Government had started compiling data pertaining to all the professionals and other workers who had returned to the State following the Corona pandemic from foreign countries and from other States.
About 41,000 persons have already enrolled themselves and have sought employment and training opportunities in agriculture, tourism and construction sectors.
The Skills Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Department has played a prominent role in the fight against the Corona pandemic along with a large number of non-governmental organisations and self-help groups, he said.
The manufacture of masks, sanitisers, phenyl, protective gowns, headgears and other implements by the NGOs and self-help groups had ensured average daily earnings of Rs 500 per member, which was quite laudable, he said.
The Chief Minister was informed that the State Government agencies had distributed identity cards to about 98,000 street vendors and extended assistance besides proving food and breakfast to a large number of homeless workers during the lockdown period.
Apart from Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwatha Narayan, Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, Skills Development, Entrepreneurship department Secretary S Selvakumar, IT/BT and Science and Technology Department Additional Chief Secretary Dr E V Ramana Reddy and Director Meena Nagaraj and other senior officers attended the review meeting.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the new Caravan mini buses for giving a boost to the development of the tourism sector as part of the start-up development programme.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Ashwath Narayana, Tourism, Kannada and Culture Minister C T Ravi and others were present.