CHANDIGARH: With a view to empowering the street children and to ensure their rehabilitation as productive members of society, the Punjab Governor and Administration Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, Friday laid the foundation stone of a vocational training center for 900 street children near village Maloya, which will be fully equipped with facilities of Education, Vocational Training, Residential facilities, playground and other necessary support structures.

This unique project, to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 7.40 crores, will extend vocational training facilities to the street children in the field of computers, electrical, electronics repair/assembling services, beauty culture, cutting, tailoring and embroidery, motor mechanic, carpentry, food processing and dress designing, to enable them to lead their life with dignity , respect and confidence

Jean Rodrigues accompanied the Administrator and encouraged the women of the area to extend their participation in this noble cause. Mayor, Municipal Corporation,  Harjinder Kaur, Home Secretary,  Krishna Mohan, Chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board, Mr. Mohanjeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, CHB, Amar Nath and Deputy Commissioner,  R.K. Rao were present on the occasion.

Setting a deadline for the completion of the project within ten months, General Rodrigues asked the officers to introduce innovative techniques in this unique project to make it symbolic of New India.  He told them to set up a multi-related core group of senior officers of different government departments, Councillors and elected representatives of different bodies, to deliberate and suggest necessary support network for running this center, with a specialized approach, suiting to the needs of these vulnerable children. He emphasized that there is a need for a collective and partnership endeavour from people of the area, for providing a healthy and dignified environment for these children. He reminded the Mayor and Councillors that as concerned citizens it is our responsibility to look after the interests of everyone, especially the target groups, which could not so far reap the benefits of various socio-security measures.

General Rodrigues also told the officers to simultaneously plan for a administrative and functional structure for successful functioning of this project to make a success of the other two projects for Mentally Challenged Children and for crippled and handicapped children.  He emphasized that the dedicated and committed social activists and experts must be associated with this venture, who can understand their needs and can spare time and energy to provide them counselling services to make street children useful citizens.  He mentioned that the basic objective of this project is to reach out to homeless children and to provide them family support, with safe, secure and work oriented environment.

General Rodrigues also met the people of the area, listened to their grievances and asked the officers to  solve them on merit on priority basis.