Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Sunday handed over tool kits to skilled Bru-Reang youth at a state-level distribution ceremony held at Anandadhara Town Hall in Amarpur, Gomati district, as part of the government’s efforts to move the rehabilitated community from relief to sustainable livelihoods.

At the programme, 1,877 tool kits and 255 driving licences were distributed among trained Bru candidates. The Chief Minister also initiated the release of a Rs 2,000 stipend each to 4,554 trained candidates, involving a total disbursement of Rs 91.08 lakh, and unveiled a booklet of the Directorate of Skill Development.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister said rehabilitation would be meaningful only when Bru families become economically self-reliant and are able to earn a livelihood with dignity. 

He said the tool kits would enable trained beneficiaries to immediately utilise their skills and begin earning.

Recalling the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister said the focus of the government is not merely on providing training but on linking skill development with sustainable livelihoods. He said the Centre and the state government are working together to ensure that trained youth become self-employable and self-reliant rather than remaining dependent on employment opportunities alone.

Since 2024, the Directorate of Skill Development under the Department of Industries and Commerce has trained 5,121 Bru youth from 4,288 families in two phases through 41 trade interventions at a total committed cost of Rs 16.25 crore. The training covers areas including agriculture and livestock, construction, textiles and handloom, transport, renewable energy, services and food-related enterprises.

The government has followed the principle that at least one member of every Bru family should receive skill training and become capable of earning. The training is provided free of cost at or near the resettlement colonies, followed by support through tool kits and, in the case of trained drivers, driving licences.

The 1,877 tool kits distributed during the ceremony covered trades such as tailoring, mushroom cultivation, bee-keeping, masonry, carpentry, electrical work, solar LED and solar PV installation, two-wheeler servicing, barbering, traditional handloom, bamboo utility products and street and roadside food vending.

Another 255 trained LMV drivers received driving licences, enabling them to seek driving employment or operate their own vehicles. The release of Rs 91.08 lakh in stipends has cleared the stipend liability for trained Bru candidates under both phases.

DrSaha also highlighted a new initiative undertaken in collaboration with the Ramakrishna Mission to provide foreign-language training to youth. He said the initiative would open up opportunities in hospitality, tourism, translation, business process services and overseas employment, and urged young people to make full use of the facilities provided by the government.

The programme also featured a cultural presentation and an exhibition showcasing products and skills of trained Bru beneficiaries. Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Kiran Gitte, IAS, delivered the welcome address, while a trained Bru candidate shared his experience of skill training and livelihood generation. Speaker Ram Pada Jamatia also addressed the gathering.