Gandhinagar

The Government of Gujarat has allocated Rs 2,902 crore for the Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department in the 2026–27 budget to strengthen skill development among youth and enhance workers’ welfare, Labour Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said on Saturday.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the state Legislative Assembly. Bavaliya said the allocation reflects the government’s commitment under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi to expand employment opportunities and strengthen the skill ecosystem.

According to the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office, the initiatives are aligned with the vision of Viksit Gujarat 2047 and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national goals of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Under the Namo Gujarat Skill and Employment Mission, the government has allocated Rs 226 crore to improve youth employability. Another Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the PM Setu Scheme to upgrade Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through a hub-and-spoke model.

To encourage women’s participation in skill training, the state has set aside Rs 40 crore for the Namo Kaushalya Laxmi Scheme, under which female students will receive Rs 15,000 for one-year courses and Rs 24,000 for two-year courses.

The government has also expanded labour welfare programmes. Under the Shramik Annapurna Yojana, Rs 200 crore has been allocated to open 300 new booths where workers can get meals for Rs 5. Another Rs 150 crore has been earmarked for the Shramik Basera Yojana.

Additionally, Rs 160 crore has been allocated to expand the Dhanvantari Arogya Rath by adding 50 mobile health units for workers.

The government also announced that families of construction workers will receive Rs 3.5 lakh in case of death or permanent disability under accident insurance. Under the Agariya Housing Scheme, Rs 25 crore has been earmarked to provide housing with solar panels and basic amenities for salt pan workers.

For workers suffering from Silicosis, the government will provide Rs 3 lakh at the time of diagnosis and Rs 4 lakh to families in case of death.

Officials also highlighted that Gujarat currently has 559 operational ITIs with a training capacity of 2,18,516 seats, including 11,448 seats reserved for women and 15 dedicated ITIs for persons with disabilities. During 2025–26, over 2.6 lakh candidates secured jobs through 1,215 job fairs across the state.

The state has also set up six drone pilot training centres approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, where more than 600 drone pilots and 1,200 trainees in drone manufacturing have been trained by Kaushalya – The Skill University.

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The government said it plans to further strengthen the skill development ecosystem and provide training to more than 60,000 people over the next four to five years as part of its long-term development roadmap.