Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has taken a major step towards skill development and connecting young people with employment opportunities. At an important meeting of the Standing Finance Committee chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the implementation and budgetary provisions for the PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme, being launched in the state for the first time, were approved.
The primary objective of the scheme is to ensure maximum employment opportunities for skilled youth graduating from upgraded ITIs in the state and help them secure better salary packages in line with industry requirements.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister also approved the Kurukshetra Cluster project, estimated to cost approximately ₹320.44 crore. Additionally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank will provide co-financing support of up to 50 per cent of the Central Government’s share through results-based lending. Under the scheme, 1,000 government ITIs and five National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) across the country are being developed as National Centres of Excellence equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
At present, seven clusters have been identified in the state. The Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Kurukshetra cluster has received approval from the National Steering Committee (NSC), while the plan for the Kalayat cluster will be taken up after January 2027. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) have been issued for the Palwal, Sonipat and Chhara clusters, while RFPs for Panipat and Rewari are scheduled to be issued in December. Separate budgetary provisions will be made for the remaining clusters after their final approval.
