HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 29: Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the new building of A’konggre Secondary School, Tura in West Garo Hills in presence of MLA Thomas A Sangma and other dignitaries.
Built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.47 cr under Asian Development Bank’s Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya and implemented by the Education Department, Govt of Meghalaya, the new building includes classrooms, science lab, computer lab and digital classrooms.
Speaking at the inaugural programme, the chief minister said that the Government has accorded top priority for the education sector. He informed that out of Rs 16,000 cr of the total expenditure which is incurred by the state, around Rs 2,700 cr is spent annually for the education sector, which includes salaries of teachers and development of learning facilities and infrastructure.
“Close to 20 percent of the total state budget is accorded for education,” he said.
He said different interventions to upgrade school infrastructure in the state have been initiated by the government. Apart from Rs 200 cr which was allocated for upgradation of elementary schools across the state an additional Rs 170 cr has been earmarked this year.
“In the next six months, more than 2500 Government LP schools will be renovated and repaired at a lump sum cost of Rs 2 – 3 lakh, and about Rs 45 lakh each to about 78 Government LP Schools, which are in dilapidated condition,” he said, while adding that 11 secondary and higher secondary schools will be given financial sanction of about Rs 3-4 cr for overhaul of infrastructure and learning facilities.
On the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), he said that the state government has written to the University Grants Commission for establishment of CUET test centres across the 12 districts of the state. He also urged the students to appear for the CUET exam.
