Disappearance of Central grant sanctioned to the State Industrial Training Institutes amounting to Rs 22.5 crore is a serious charge leveled by Goa Government ITI Employees Association and needs to be probed thoroughly. However, it cannot revolve around two officers and certainly cannot happen without the connivance of those in related government departments.
Siphoning off such huge funds is not as simple as it is made out to be. For misappropriation of such magnitude to be effective there has to be an involvement of the ‘big fish’. Deepak Desai, who was holding additional charge as State Directorate of Craftsmen and Training and ex-director Aleixo Da Costa were at the helm and need to give an account of the funds. But that can’t be the end of the story. Vishwajit Rane who heads the Skill Development and Craftsman Training Department needs to explain and so has the Finance Department headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Central funds are not stacked into someone personal accounts to be used at will. There are procedures in place and there are sanctions from the highest level required to avail these funds.
It is true that ITIs in the state are in doldrums. Just a case in point would be the Farmagudi ITI which is having serious water issues for over a year. Water is supplied through tankers, and the PWD Department headed by Sudin Dhavalikar who has been promising Goa 24x7 water supply since the past many years, has failed to supply basic water to this institute where students, including girls, are exposed to inhuman conditions. There are ITIs where drinking water is still a luxury while there are some where the infrastructure is crumbling. Before the minister concerned goes on a detour to the 10 ITIs to satisfy himself, it would make better sense if he stops by the head office at Shram Shakti Bhavan, Panaji to get a first hand view of what lies in store.
While we talk of jobs, Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte’s ambitious promise of 9500 employment openings at the two proposed IT parks come to mind. Where do our ITI pass-outs fit into the scheme of things? Does the government continue its focus on churning out plumbers, welders and electricians year on year, or should we prepare manpower to fit into the current day requirement? Or are the ITIs just going through their routine? Picture a scenario where instructors are taking up a trade which they are not qualified in. There are ITIs where wiremen are taking up classes for electricians. And we talk about skill development.
We perfectly understand why the Association has heaped praise on the government over transfers. But it still remains a mystery how some ITI staff manage to stay put for years, while a few others play musical chairs. And still there are a lucky few like the president of the Association Anil Bhonsale. Call it political interference or sheer luck of the rarest of rare kind, Bhonsale got his transfer reversed in one year and saddled himself back from Honda to Farmagudi. Hope Bhonsale doesn’t forget the heroic ‘baaraat’ welcome that he received with chants and flowers from his supporters, more akin to politicians winning elections.
A lot needs to change for ITIs in Goa, but the wrongs cannot be set right with personal agendas. Holistic approach and an open mind from all stakeholders is the need of the hour.
