Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Shri Manohar Lal, graced Labour Skill Certification Ceremony organised by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA), Kasturba Nagar, Sewa Nagar, New Delhi today. The ceremony was organised as part of the Government of India’s Skill India Mission.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Shri Manohar Lal, graced the occasion and awarded skill certificates and ID cards.40 ‘Workmen’ have successfully completed an 80-Hour Skill Development Training Programme in MIVAN Shuttering Systems.

The training was conducted onsite at the GPRA project under the CPWD’s initiative to upskill labourers directly at construction locations.

The event was also attended by Shri Srinivas R. Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Sh. Satinder Pal Singh, Director General, CPWD and other senior officials.

In his address, Shri Manohar Lal underlined the significance of equipping the workforce with modern construction skills, noting that a shortage of skilled labour often affects the quality and pace of infrastructure development. He commended CPWD’s efforts to bring structured training to the grassroots level and align it with the National Skill Development Mission.

In his address to the workers, contractors, and officials, he emphasized the crucial role of skill development in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

He highlighted that the construction industry particularly requires skilled workers to achieve desired quality standards. CPWD has adopted a proactive approach to address this skill gap. He announced that CPWD will increase the number of workers to be trained in the next financial year from 10,000 this year to 25,000. He also declared that it has now been made mandatory for contractors to engage at least 20% certified skilled workers in projects costing more than ₹10,000 crore, or provide them formal training on-site.

The training programme, conducted in collaboration with National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), certifies workers as Assistant Shuttering Carpenters (Aluminium Shuttering). A similar initiative under Phase-I had earlier certified approximately 40 labourers as Assistant Masons.

The ceremony took place at the site of the GPRA Redevelopment Project at Kasturba Nagar, which features G+13 storey towers with over 2000 residential flats (Type II & III) equipped with modern amenities and two levels of basement parking. The project is being executed using monolithic construction technology involving aluminium shuttering and self-compacting concrete, one of the six modern construction technologies identified by MoHUA.

In line with sustainability goals, the project aims to achieve a GRIHA 4-Star Rating through multiple eco-friendly measures, including the use of C&D waste materials, fly ash, low-VOC paints, solar panels, and 5-star rated electrical equipment. The colony also features open green spaces, cycling tracks, open gyms, sports courts, kids’ play areas, water bodies, and key social infrastructure like a CGHS Dispensary and a Primary School Building.

The initiative highlights the Government’s commitment to creating a skilled construction workforce while promoting innovation and sustainability in public infrastructure development.

***

SK

Cpwd Press Release