India grants Rs. 215 m to VTCs

The High Commissioner of India Ashok K. Kantha visited Helboda, Nuwara Eliya district, Central Province on April 2, 2013. During the visit, the High Commissioner, along with the Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma, inaugurated the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) at Helboda.

At the event, the High Commissioner handed over advanced technology equipment, vehicles and books worth SLR 65 million, in the presence of Minister for Public Administration and Reforms Navin Dissanayake, Members of Parliament V. Radhakrishnan and P. Rajadurai, Central Provincial Council Members and A. Natarajah, Assistant High Commissioner of India, Thilakarathne, Secretary, Ministry of Skills Development, Col. Darshana Ratnayake, the Chairman of VTA, W.D. Fernando, Director (Training) VTA and Niroshana Perera, Reginal Director, VTC Nuwara Eliya, were also present during the ceremony.

High Commissioner said that India had undertaken to implement projects to set up Vocational Training Centres in various parts of Sri Lanka under Indian grant assistance, to help students gain professional knowledge leading to gainful employment and self-entrepreneurship.

He highlighted that VTC Helboda was the sixth Vocational Training Centre set up with the support of the Government of the India and would help students from the Central Province and adjoining areas to pursue training and build a career in vocational trade. India had earlier supported setting up on VTCs at Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Puttalam. Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam.