Sans hostel facilities, incubation centre fails to attract tribal youths in Odisha

ROURKELA: The Livelihood Business Incubation Centre (LBIC) at Rourkela is struggling to make an impact with unemployed youths of the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district due to a lack of hostel facilities and other provisions. 

The LBIC envisages developing employability skills and creating entrepreneurship urge among unemployed tribal youths of Sundargarh. Set up as a joint venture of National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL, it became functional in February of this year. 

Sources said in the last six months, the response has not been encouraging with only 27 students having trained at LBIC. Now, 60 trainees are enrolled in different courses. Only poor tribal youths within 20 km radius of Rourkela are attending training while others from the rest parts of the district are failing to take advantage of LBIC’s courses in absence of hostel facilities and stipends. 

Former Union Tribal Affairs Minister and Sundargarh MP Jual Oram laid the foundation of LBIC on February 25, 2019. On Friday, Jual visited the LBIC and was apprised about the problems faced by the centre and the trainees. He was requested to take up the issues with the Ministries concerned to at least ensure a Rs 1,000 monthly stipend to the trainees, most of whom are struggling to meet the daily travel expenses. 

LBIC sources said they have the infrastructure for the hostel facility, but a separate budget is required for food and lodging expenditures. Jual reportedly assured them of taking up the issues at the appropriate level. NSIC-LBIC chief manager TM Nayak said currently, the centre is offering 10 manufacturing and skill development courses with a duration of two to six months.

The trainees are also taught entrepreneurship skills on how to register a firm and set up their own business venture, avail loan, taxation requirements, marketing links and basic accounting knowledge. The centre has advanced machines and equipment and in future, more courses would be added, Nayak said.