Date:02/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/02/stories/2006050205810600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Industry-labour harmony needed:YSR

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The official May Day celebration by the State Government witnessed Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy giving a call to industry and labour to improve the wages and output respectively by working in an environment of harmony.

Dr. Reddy appealed to the managements to make profits after giving the workers their due. The managements could take up mechanisation in a big way and the labour try to enhance its skills to achieve their respective objectives.

In this regard, he referred to the efforts of the Central and State Governments to strengthen the Industrial Training Institutes so that they were helpful in upgradation of skills of workers.

The Chief Minister deplored that the exploitation of labour was rampant in the industry. He wanted some more units and export promotion activities to spur industrial growth in the State. Information Technology and basic industries should be used for employment generation.

Asha Murthy, Principal Secretary, Labour, said five Industrial Training Institutes were being upgraded into centres of excellence in the State.

Twenty more were proposed to be upgraded with World Bank assistance. She said a scheme had been submitted to the Central Government for upgradation of skills of intending immigrants.

Dr. Reddy presented Shrama Shakti awards to 17 trade union leaders. They were Babar Saleem Pasha, G. Abdul Khader, G. Appa Rao, M. Bhaskara Rao, B. Rajalingam, B. Dalaiah, T. Anji Reddy, P. Naga Venkata Chandrasekhar, T. Dasu, K. Sammaiah, K. Venkateshwara Rao, G. Keshava Rao, M. Parameshwar, M.D. Saber Pasha, J. Muralidhar Rao, D. Shaleel and K. Sattaiah.