Focus on development of quality manpower: CII

BHUBANESWAR: The State budget for 2012-13 should focus on development of quality manpower for absorption in industry and other sectors which are poised for a take off in the coming days. This was the opinion of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and other trade and business bodies which attended the pre-budget consultative meeting of the State Government which concluded on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei.  The CII Odisha chapter chairman and Nalco chairman-cum-managing director BL Bagra addressed the meeting. He presented a roadmap for the next year’s budget and requested the State Government to give emphasis on manpower development. His counterpart in Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (UCCI) Ramesh Mohapatra emphasised on promotion of agro-based and food processing industries. He said that this would generate employment in rural sector. He suggested that there should be rationalisation of tax rates in the State. Participating in the meeting, trade union leader Krushna Chandra Patra said the budget should make an allocation for health insurance coverage of workers in the unorganised sector. He also stressed the need for enhancement of the minimum wages. Among others, farmer leader Rama Chandra Sishu, trade union leader Raju Singh, CYSD representatives Prof Bhagabat Patra, Pravash Mishra and Prof Sudhakar Panda  spoke in the meeting. Principal Secretary in the Finance Department Jugal Kishore Mohapatra and senior officials attended the meeting.