Chandigarh: For skill development and connecting young people with employment opportunities, the Standing Finance Committee of Haryana, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Saturday approved the implementation and budgetary provisions for the PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme.
The scheme aims to ensure maximum employment opportunities for skilled youth graduating from upgraded ITIs in the state and help them secure better salary packages in line with industry requirements.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister also approved the Kurukshetra Cluster project, estimated to cost approximately ?320.44 crore.
The centrally sponsored PM-SETU scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 and further expanded in the Union Budget 2025-26. The scheme has a total national budget of ?60,000 crore, comprising ?30,000 crore from the Central Government, ?20,000 crore from state governments and ?10,000 crore from the industry.
Additionally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank will provide co-financing support of up to 50 per cent of the Central Government's share through results-based lending. Under the scheme, 1,000 government ITIs and five National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) across the country are being developed as National Centres of Excellence equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
Haryana plans to establish 12 clusters under the scheme, covering approximately 60 government ITIs across the state. The total estimated expenditure is ?2,892 crore, of which the State Government's share will be approximately ?954 crore.
At present, seven clusters have been identified in the state. The Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Kurukshetra cluster has received approval from the National Steering Committee (NSC), while the plan for the Kalayat cluster will be taken up after January 2027. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) have been issued for the Palwal, Sonipat and Chhara clusters, while RFPs for Panipat and Rewari are scheduled to be issued in December. Separate budgetary provisions will be made for the remaining clusters after their final approval.
At the meeting, the financial allocation for the Kurukshetra ITI cluster was approved in detail. The project will cost ?320.44 crore, with the Central Government contributing ?160.22 crore (50 per cent), the State Government ?105.75 crore (33 per cent), and the Anchor Industry Partner (AIP) ?54.47 crore (17 per cent).
The cluster will comprise one hub ITI—Government ITI, Kurukshetra—and six spoke ITIs: Women's ITI, Kurukshetra; ITI Kaithal; ITI Pehowa; ITI Pabnawa; Women's ITI, Ambala City; and Women's ITI, Kaithal.