The Hindu Business Line : CII task force drafts big role for underprivileged

Concrete steps
Specific targets have been set for the first year of implementation of the programme
A National Council for Affirmative Action was being set up to oversee the programme

Kolkata , Oct. 13

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Eastern Region, in keeping with its 2006-07 theme of `Competitiveness for sustainable and inclusive growth in the East', has, jointly with Assocham, formed a task force.

Elaborating on the theme, Mr Bushen Raina, Chairman of CII-ER, and Managing Director of Tinplate Company of India Ltd, told newspersons here on Friday that the Task Force on Affirmative Action under the chairmanship of Dr J.J. Irani, has drafted a report for including the underprivileged segment of the society in industry.

The report, he said, has proposed concrete steps by industry for greater participation of scheduled castes/tribes in the economy.

Proposed measures

Pointing out that the recommendations have been endorsed by CII's National Council, Mr Raina said specific targets have been set for the first year of implementation of the programme. The proposed steps are grouped under the three heads entrepreneurship development, employability & capacity building and education.

He said under a fresh action plan, a National Council for Affirmative Action was being set up under the chairmanship of CII President, to guide and oversee the programme. A code of conduct is also being drafted, along with the proposal for an Ombudsman's Office. According to Mr Raina, CII-ER is working on some specific projects of affirmative action, which include providing hands-on training to schedules caste and tribes in the trade of masonry-hospital staff-ward boys.

Training programmes

Separate programmes are also being taken up in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand for entrepreneurship development and coaching for competitive examinations. The training programmes are expected to take off within the next 30-45 days.

Suggesting that inclusiveness is necessary to ensure that growth does not take part in pockets and in an isolated manner, he said the thrust would be on facilitating the growth to permeate from urban to rural areas and from higher to lower of the society.

CII, in eastern India, is concentrating on various districts and zones in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.

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