25 skill development centres in a year: Kejriwal's I-Day promise

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday promised to open more than 25 skill development centres and fight dengue and chikungunya in the national capital. "Within one year, we will open 25-30 centres (for skill development) in Delhi," the Chief Minister said in his Independence Day address at the Chhatrasal Stadium here. Kejriwal said that in the very first year, the centres would train more than 25,000 youths for getting jobs. "Wherever I go, there is only one demand: please give jobs to our children. To provide jobs, on an experimental basis we had created a skill development centre where 1,200 students are studying," he said. The Chief Minister added that skill development is a one-year course after completing Class 12. "After training, these students get three to four job offers that too of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000," Kejriwal said. In his half-hour address, he also said that the government would come up with a detailed plan to fight dengue and chikungunya in 10 days. Speaking about the no-detention policy till Class 8 under the Right to Education Act (RTE), Kejriwal said that it has destroyed the education system. "This year in Class 10, 60,000 students had failed," he said, adding that they don't have to worry as all of them will get admission and that the government will conduct special classes for them. Addressing the audience, mostly students, the Chief Minister asked: "Today I want to ask something to women, girls, mothers and sisters: We've been independent for 70 years, but do you consider yourself safe when you go out?" "No" came the answer in unison from a section of the crowd. Kejriwal said there should be stringent punishment for crime against women so that there is deterrence. He also said that security and cleaning jobs cannot be contractual as they were round-the-year work and not limited for a short period. Promising to end the current system in these jobs, Kejriwal warned the contractors: "Correct yourselves or you will be corrected." The Aam Aadmi Party leader also talked about poverty, economic disparity and education.