Raipur, Sep 8 (IANS) Chhattisgarh plans to set up 10 industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the current fiscal year, costing around Rs.66 million, in Maoist-hit districts to offer employment to "misguided Maoist cadres".

The centres are to come up at Konta in revolt-hit Dantewada district, Kondagaon in Bastar district, Bhanupratapur and Antagarh in Kanker district, Surajpur, Samri, Wadrafnagar and Premnagar in Surguja district, Kunkuri in Jashpur district and Manendragarh in Koriya district.

"Concerned by the escalating violence and the rising number of young Maoists cadres, the government will be setting up centres in six Maoist-plagued districts to offer industrial training to youths for self-employment," a senior government official told IANS.

The state government's decision comes a few days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked chief ministers of states in New Delhi Sep 5 to focus on the development of areas affected by Maoist violence and to contain the decade-old Left extremists' rebel movement.

"The government will encourage misguided youths who have joined the rebels to shun extremism and begin their own business after getting industrial training at the nearest ITI centres," an official source said on conditions of anonymity.

The ITIs will offer courses on skills needed for a welder, driver-cum-mechanic, electrician and a diesel mechanic. It will also impart lessons in Hindi stenography, horticulture, building maintenance and cutting and tailoring.

The government will try to secure jobs for the trained candidates and support them financially to start their own small businesses.

"If setting up ITI centres in the trouble-hit interior pockets will bring down Maoist violence, the government will open at least 24 more such centres to bring youths back from Maoists' clutches," the source added.

Chhattisgarh is one of the worst affected of the 13 Maoist-hit Indian states and rebels have killed at least 250 people in the state since January this year.