Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s skilled drivers have achieved remarkable success in securing employment opportunities in overseas. Thirty drivers from Odisha will soon be employed in Japan at a higher salaries with benefits. In a ceremony held today at Kharavel Bhavan, Commerce and Transport, Steel and Mines department Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena honoured the successful drivers and extended his best wishes. Good behaviour, zero casualty and safety must be the motto of newly recruited drivers, he said. Sri Jena said that Commerce and Transport Department has come first to provide employment according the manifesto assurances given by his Government. Odisha is the first state in the country to create such innovative employment opportunities for its drivers, Minister Sri Jena said.
The Commerce and Transport Department is actively taking steps to facilitate employment for Odisha’s drivers. Previously, employment arrangements were made through various prestigious companies within the state and the country. Now, the state has gone further to create job opportunities abroad for its drivers. These drivers will be employed in Japan with high salaries and benefits. In the first phase, 30 drivers from Odisha have been selected to avail the opportunity to work in Japan. This recruitment process was conducted by the Japanese delegation and Navis HR. From the state government’s Heavy Vehicle Training Center, 180 drivers participated in the selection process.
Before heading to Japan, these drivers will undergo training at Bengaluru on Japanese language, culture, and regulations. Their passports and visas will also be arranged. The total expenditure per driver for this process is 2.3 lakh rupees.
The State Transport Authority regularly takes various measures in the field of road safety. To reduce road accidents and enhance driver skills, the department is implementing the SuVahak Scheme. Under this scheme, there are heavy vehicle training centers at four locations in the state, operated through public-private partnerships. These centers offer free training, accommodation, meals, and driving license preparation for the successful trainees.
So far, 4488 drivers have received heavy vehicle training under this scheme, and 21,964 drivers have undergone refresher training. Successful trainees are consistently provided with employment opportunities. To date, 1254 drivers have been placed in various companies. Women have also demonstrated their skills in this employment field. The state has now achieved new success in providing overseas employment opportunities. Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department gave introductory remarks while Sri Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner welcomed the Minister. Senior officers of the Department and State Transport Authority were present in the programme. Minister Sri Jena was introduced to all the recruited drivers who expressed their happiness for such foreign recruitment and thanked the State Government for such endeavour.
