Chennai, Feb 1 (IANS): Finance Minister P.Chidambaram Saturday laid the foundation stone of a rural sanitation training institute, to be set up by Sulabh International, in his constituency Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, a statement said.

The Sulabh International Training Insitute for Vocational Trades is first of its kind initiative in the country, said the statement.

In his address at the occasion, Chidambaram said the idea of training rural youth in sanitation and hygiene is unique, it said.

The institute would come up in district's Nagrampatti panchayat area, where unemployed youth would be trained in plumbing, toilet construction, electric fittings, housekeeping, child care, para-medical assistance, said Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak.

He said the institute, with capacity of 200 trainees, would be operational in a year's time and similar centres would be opened in other parts of the country.

To the question why he choose Sivaganga district, Pathak told IANS: "Once I had met Chidamabaram and proposed the centre to him. I told him if land is available, then it could be set up in Sivaganga."

An English medium school would also be set up within the two acre campus, he added.