SIKKIM ITI TO BE UPGRADED

NEW DELHI, Aug. 2: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved an ambitious Rs 1581 crore labour ministry project to upgrade 500 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) over the next five years with World Bank assistance. The World Bank has sanctioned $280 million. Each year, training content would be improved in 100 ITIs. The Union finance minister, Mr P Chidambaram, told reporters that the Centre would share the project cost with states, meeting 75 per cent expenditure and leaving 25 per cent for the states. For north-eastern states and Sikkim, the Central help would be 90 per cent