Agartala, Nov 21 : In a bid to upgrade the skills in various technical trades and to enhance employability, the Tripura government signed an agreement with Tata Technologies for the upgradation of 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state for Rs 683.27 crore, an official said here on Thursday.

The official of the Industries and Commerce Department said that to bridge the skills gap in emerging technology sectors by modernising training facilities and significantly enhancing the employability of ITI graduates, the Tripura government and Tata Technologies signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to upgrade the 19 ITIs in the state.

The MoA was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Manik Saha, Minister of Industries and Commerce Santana Chakma and Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Brisaketu Debbarma.

The Chief Minister reacting to the MoA said that for the past many years, the state government has been trying to upgrade the ITIs to enable the technical students to get better job opportunities.

'In these 19 ITIs, students have been engaged in physical and mechanical work. Those who graduated have not benefited from exposure to the latest technology. So, we want to upgrade these facilities.

At present, with the pace of development and the skills needed across various sectors, the absence of computerised machinery was a significant gap,' he said.

CM Saha said that according to the agreement, the infrastructure of these ITIs would also be developed.

He informed that Tata Technologies will bear 86 per cent of the cost, amounting to more than Rs 570 crore, while the state government would contribute 14 per cent, amounting to over Rs 112 crore.

The Chief Minister said Rs 683.27 crore would be spent on the upgradation of projects.

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wants no state to be left behind. We are working in the same direction and have been in constant touch with Tata Technologies. They will work for five years. We have also made provisions for teacher training and maintenance. Teachers from Tata Technologies would also be involved,' the Chief Minister said.

He said that skilled people are in high demand, and the large youth population in the country is a big strength.

"Previously, due to the lack of such technologies, people were not interested, but now, with these upgrades, students will come and this initiative is set to boost industries as well," CM Saha stated.

/IANS