Kathmandu, April 6
A 150-million rupee programme, meant to provide free skill-oriented training to 10,000 youth and ready them for self-employment, is in jeopardy even before its start. Due to delays in preparatory works related to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the budget is likely to freeze soon.
Officials at the Employment Promotion Board, which allocated the budget for the programme, admit that the Rs 150 million is likely to freeze.
On the other hand, foreign employment agents accuse the government of telling lies to the youths by promising to send them abroad after providing training. A manpower agent said: At that time, the government claimed it will provide training to 10,000 youths. We had taken it as a good start. But nothing happened in the end.
A source at the board said it is almost certain that the board will not launch the training programme this fiscal (2072-73).
The board of directors of the Foreign Employment Promotion Board has not yet decided to conduct the said training, an FEPB official said. The official noted: Neither they call a meeting, nor they work smoothly. We don’t know on whose interests these officials are not initiating the process for providing the training.
Raghuraj Kafle, executive director of the FEPB, said they will try to conduct the training this year itself. We have already selected the institution that will impart training, he said, adding that the board will seek a letter of intent now.
“The process got delayed. Despite this, we will do every bit to conduct the training.”
But another FEPB official said there’s almost no chance of conducting the training this year, despite Kafle’s claims.
The official said: There’s no certainty of board meetings taking place. Procurement of goods will take three months even if we are to follow the public procurement process. In this situation, how can training start this year itself?
