New Delhi, 16 September 2014: Speaking at the 57th Foundation Day of Central Board of Workers Education (CBWE), the Union Minister of Labour & Employment, Steel and Mines, Narendra Singh Tomar underscored the importance of awareness and capacity building among workers in the country. “There is no other satisfaction greater than seeing the change we cause,” he said while appreciating the role played by CBWE in educating workers from organized, unorganized and rural classes. Talking of the multiplier effect of education, the Minister said, “Even if each person in the country takes a single step towards progress, it translates into 1.25 billion steps for the nation as a whole.”
The Minister was accompanied by Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Steel and Mines, Vishnu Deo Sai, the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Gauri Kumar and Chairman, CBWE, K Lakshma Reddy, among others. The Board also presented a cheque of Rs 3.48 lakhs to Tomar towards the PM’s relief fund for relief and restoration work in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of recent floods in the State.
Tomar urged members of CBWE to dovetail their actions with the priorities of the country, chief among them being skill development. He exhorted CBWE to expand their size and scope, and assured them of government support for such work. He also underlined the importance of setting deadlines for projects, and regularly reviewing course content to make them topical and relevant. Tomar stressed upon the need for increasing participation of eastern and north-eastern workers in such initiatives, so that backward regions of the country can be brought at par with developed states. The Minister also launched an online ‘Monthly Progress Report System’ of CBWE on the occasion.
In his address, Vishnu Deo Sai emphasized the role of education in empowering workers and saving them from exploitation. Gauri Kumar reiterated the government’s target of skilling one crore people every year, and sought CBWE’s participation in this mission. K Lakshma Reddy informed that CBWE had so far trained nearly 1.5 crore people, and that the Board is ready to meet government priorities.
