Under-utilised dormitory at Thaiyur soon to be learning centre

By SHANMUGHA SUNDARAM J

CHENNAI: The state labour department would turn the under-utilised dormitory at Thaiyur B Village in Kancheepuram district into an academy for construction workers to offer short term courses.

The initiative would aid the department to revive the defunct Tamil Nadu Academy for Construction (TAC), which was established in the fag end of the 2010 by then chief minister M Karunanidhi, and offer 15, 30 and 90 days short term courses to enhance the skills of the registered members of the construction workers welfare board. As on date, there were 21 lakh construction labourers enrolled with welfare board.

“We have started the process of framing the syllabus for the courses, which will be designed to up-skill the registered members of the welfare board. The initiative is also aimed at reviving TAC. It remained defunct during the AIADMK regime as they did not show any interest to run the academy for the benefit of the labourers,” chairman of the Tamil Nadu Construction Welfare Board Ponkumar told DT Next.

Sources in the department said the syllabus would incorporate new techniques and best practices. The labourers would be given practical training of different methods of building construction as part of the courses.

“Once they complete the course, they will be issued certificates that will come in handy in getting jobs in foreign countries,” said an official.

Since completion of the dormitories at Ezhichur in March 2017 and Thaiyur in February 2018 at a cost of Rs 31.66 crore for construction labourers, who were required to pay maintenance fee of Rs 20 per day, it was remaining idle and resulted in waste of resources, according to the CAG report tabled in the Assembly recently. The report further said the two dormitories were among the 10 such facilities for which the previous government had sanctioned Rs 106 crore.

Of them, five in Chennai and suburban areas and one each in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy and Salem districts.

However, the labour department had constructed only two, including the facility in Thaiyur B village.

“We have decided against constructing the eight remaining dormitories,” Ponkumar said.