Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu flags off Naipunya Ratham

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday flagged off Naipunya Ratham, a multi-utility vehicle aimed at taking technology and innovation to the remote corners of the State.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said that the government will roll out 12 more Naipunya Rathams by May. “The first phase of the launch would cover 13 districts and 28 smart villages in collaboration with Hewlett Packard, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India and Guide Foundation for Development,’’ he said adding that as part of the ‘Smart Village Smart Ward Programme’, the Naipunya Rathams will facilitate and look to improve digital literacy, digital skills.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that around 10 lakh people across the State will undergo skill development training in the year 2018-19. The government has allotted `300 crore for the project and will be setting up 1,000 skill development centres soon. Describing the Naipunya Ratham as a multi-purpose vehicle and will cater to the needs of all the sections of the society, he said schoolchildren can avail technical and educational information, youth can use it for their skill development purposes and the vehicle also possesses excellent system for entertainment purposes as well.