Kolkata, May 13 (PTI) The West Bengal transport department on Tuesday announced an initiative to upskill workers of over 500 registered garages across the state to make them well-versed with changes in automobile technology and new models of vehicles with advanced features.

Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty and senior officials attended a meeting at the University Institute Hall, where modalities to impart modern training to the workers and involve all garage owners, including roadside ones, were deliberated upon, a senior official said.

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"There are around 5,187 skilled/semi-skilled employees associated with registered garages numbering around 505 all over the state. As new models of vehicles with advanced automated features are being introduced, and existing vehicles are undergoing new additions/innovations, there is a need to help workers employed in the garages/workshops adapt to new technical features. The project will start rolling soon," the transport department official said.

The project would be monitored by the Department of Technical Education, Training and Skill Development as the nodal agency, he said.

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Altogether 7,000 workers, associated with different segments of the sector, were expected to be imparted training, the official said.

The 'Utkarsh Bangla' initiative of the Bengal government, launched to provide skill training to individuals for better employment prospects and create a skilled workforce, will be utilised.

The employees will be encouraged to come under the free social security and welfare projects organised by the state labour department, the official said.

He also said 4.13 lakh transport workers in the unorganised sector come under the 'Poschim Bongo Paribahan Karmi Samajik Suraksha' (West Bengal Transport Workers Social Security Scheme).

Under this, one will be entitled to a monthly pension, PF facilities after retirement and in the event of death.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)