CS visits Yatri Niwas, reviews final arrangements for Shri Amarnathji Yatra

*Discusses industry-driven model for ITIs modernization

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 1: Ahead of commencement of the annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra from July 3, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today undertook a comprehensive visit to Yatri Niwas, Bhagwati Nagar, to take stock of the final arrangements being made by various departments for smooth and secure conduct of the pilgrimage.
Accompanied by the senior civil and police officers, the Chief Secretary inspected all key facilities at the Yatri Niwas, one of the pivotal base camps in Jammu for the devotees.
Those present during the visit included Divisional Commissioner Jammu; IGP, Jammu; IG, Traffic; Deputy Commissioner, Jammu; SSP Traffic (City); Commissioner, JMC; MD, JPDCL; Director, Information; Chief Engineers of Jal Shakti and PWD besides representatives from various security agencies and other concerned departments.
During his walkthrough of the facility, the Chief Secretary took a detailed assessment of the arrangements ranging from accommodation, sanitation and power supply to security and registration counters. He asked for increasing the number of registration counters to ease the process for the incoming pilgrims and minimize waiting times.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed functioning of the dedicated control room set up to monitor yatra-related activities round-the-clock.
Highlighting the significance of seamless inter-departmental coordination, he later chaired a high-level meeting of officers. He stressed the importance of ensuring a glitch-free and safe experience for the pilgrims during the entire 38-day yatra period. He expressed satisfaction over the meticulous efforts of all the departments. He expressed confidence that the arrangements would offer pilgrims a comfortable and spiritually enriching journey.
Dulloo remarked that every department has worked with utmost dedication to create a conducive environment for the pilgrims. He further observed that our goal is not only to ensure their safety and comfort but also to leave them with a memorable experience that they can carry home with joy.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary chaired a high-level meeting with key Government functionaries and prominent industry representatives to deliberate on implementation of the Government of India’s flagship scheme for modernization of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through a hub and spoke model.
The meeting witnessed participation from Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education; Principal Secretary, Finance; CMD, J&K Bank; Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Secretary, Skill Development Department (SDD); Director General, Budget; Directors of SDD and I&C (Jammu/Kashmir) and senior representatives from leading public and private sector enterprises including SIDBI, NHPC, TCS, IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, CVVPL, NHAI and others.
The deliberations revolved around the ways and means of implementing the newly launched Centrally Sponsored Scheme titled ‘National Scheme for ITI Upgradation and setting up of National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling’, which carries a massive outlay of Rs 60,000 crore, comprising Central share of Rs 30,000 crore, State share of Rs 20,000 crore and Industry/CSR contribution of Rs 10,000 crore.
Addressing the participants, the Chief Secretary emphasized that the success of this ambitious skilling initiative hinges on a robust public-private partnership. He sought candid inputs from all participants on how best to implement the scheme in the UT to ensure that the youth of J&K are trained with market-relevant skills that make them employable and industry-ready.
He called upon the industry stakeholders to actively adopt and take ownership of hub-and-spoke clusters by aligning them with real-time industrial demands.
Dulloo further instructed the Skill Development Department to explore potential partnerships with leading PSUs and industrial conglomerates across the country, tapping into their CSR initiatives and technological expertise.
Speaking during the meeting, ACS, Higher Education, Shantmanu encouraged the stakeholders not to be deterred by challenges. He urged for innovative engagement models and suggested leveraging every possible channel for training, mentoring, and eventual placement of youth over time.
Principal Secretary, Finance, echoed similar sentiments and proposed organizing a high-level workshop with national PSUs and corporate houses in Delhi to showcase the opportunities and mutual benefits of investing in J&K’s skilling ecosystem. He also recommended benchmarking against successful ITI models in Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat that have achieved 100% placement records in recent years.
Commissioner Secretary, I&C, Vikramjit Singh, suggested exploring models where industry-aligned groups could be entrusted with the day-to-day running of ITIs, thereby ensuring hands-on training and direct linkages to employment.
Secretary, SDD, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, presented the framework of the scheme, highlighting its dual focus-modernizing 1,000 Government ITIs under a hub and spoke system with revamped industry-aligned trades and establishing five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling at select National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).

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