By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram: Leading construction majors like L&T, Punj Lloyd and ILFS have expressed keenness to join hands with the Kerala government to set up a state of the art construction academy to train masons and engineers to equip them with the latest developments in the construction industry.
According to Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John, two partners have also evinced interest in joining hands with the state for the Academy.
“In principle, the decision to set up the Construction Academy has been made. It would be in Chavara in Kollam district. It would be set up as a company in the model of the Cochin International Airport Ltd, which will see the state owning 51 percent and the rest to be made either with just one private partner or a few private players,” John, who returned from a visit to Europe, told reporters here Thursday.
Among those expressed interest include the National Construction College in Norfolk in UK and a premier company from Singapore, besides the Builders Association of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry.
“The Academy work will start on March 1st and in a year’s time training would begin with 500 people getting trained at a time. In the coming weeks we will be inviting expression of interests and finalise the partners who will be partnering us in the proposed Academy,” said engineer-turned-politician John, son of veteran trade union leader late Baby John who was a long time minister in Kerala.