'US is not the only option': Telangana CM announces special wing to facilitate jobs in other countries

HYDERABAD: Observing that job opportunities are available on a large scale for Indian youth in countries such as Germany and Japan if not America, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the state government would soon set up a special wing to facilitate jobs in foreign countries.

Speaking at an event here where he inaugurated 65 Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) which earlier functioned as Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), he said the USA is not the only country for those who want to work abroad. Job avenues are available on a large scale in Japan, Russia, South Korea and others, he said.

"There is no loss if one cannot go to America (for job opportunities). Developed countries like Germany, Japan and South Korea are there," he said.

The Telangana government would act as a bridge for providing job opportunities in countries like Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan if the youth undergo relevant training in India, he said.

"We will create a wing in government to provide job and livelihood opportunities for you in foreign countries. We will lay foundations for your career by establishing a wing in government to process your (applications) from passport to visa," Reddy said.

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Government initiatives

Recalling that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi distributed lands to the poor by taking lakhs of acres from landlords, he said lands are not available with the government anymore for distribution and that education is the weapon to overcome poverty .

"The government does not have lands to construct its offices. There is no land for allocating to graveyards," he said, adding that it is impossible now to provide lands as a poverty alleviation measure.

The state government is setting up a Skills University, Young India Sports University and Young India Integrated Residential Schools and is also transforming ITIs as ATCs to promote job opportunities for youth, he said.

Reddy asked state IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu to speak to Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to provide a stipend of Rs 2,000 per month to those taking admission in the ATCs from next year.

The government transformed ITIs as ATCs by collaborating with the Tata Group. While Tata Group spent Rs 2,100 crore for upgradation of the institutes, the state government spent only Rs 300 crore, he added.