FROM A REPORTER
SHILLONG, Jan 23: The Jaintia Student’s Movement (JSM) Central Body has demanded the immediate setting up of a government college in East Jaintia Hills District beside various other demands.
The Movement led by its President, Leningstar Rymbai, also submitted a memorandum at the office of the Chief Minister here on Monday.
“It is a matter of grave concern that there is only one government college i.e, Kiang ngbah Government College located in Jowai in entire Jaintia Hills to the meet the educatiol requirements of a large number of students in the region,” Rymbai told reporters here on Monday.
According to him, in the past few years, Kiang ngbah College was compelled to accommodate a large number of students beyond its actual capacity including the numbers of seats.
“A large numbers of Kiang ngbah College from East Jaintia Hills District have to commute daily from one district to another district and rent house in Jowai Town for attending their classes and thereby incur huge expenses in the process,” Rymbai said here adding that beside this private colleges in the region like the Thomas Jones College, Jowai, East Jaintia College, Khliehriat and St Anthony’s College, Byndihati and others are all very expensive in terms of the fees structure etc, and the students belonging to poor families cannot afford to go in these colleges and some have to take loans just to send their children in these colleges.
“The setting up of a government college in East Jaintia Hills has become mandatory, so we urged the state government to look into this matter at the earliest,” he said. He further said that the JSM has also demanded the state government in the memorandum for implementation of the three Residential Schools in West Jaintia Hills District.
He also said that the Meghalaya Government has already acquired lands in the year 2012 for setting up of the residential schools in three Community & Rural Development (C&RD) Blocks, in Shangpung (Laskein C&RD Block), Amlarem (Amlarem C&RD Block) and Sabah Musniang (Thadlaskein C&RD Block).
Informing that that these lands were doted free of cost by the respective Dorbar Shnong, Rymbai added, “It is upsetting to know that the Government is yet to construct the schools building and implement the said schools in all the three areas which will be very beneficial to the students of the region as a whole and will help to uplift the region in all spheres.”
“We demand the government the implementation of the residential school in all the three areas at the earliest,” he said.
He further informed that the Meghalaya Government has also already acquired the required lands for setting the Pine Mount Intertiol School in Wahiajer and the locals have also doted their lands free of cost in the year 2012, however, four years have passed but the government is yet to implement the said Intertiol School.
“The news of setting up the Pine Mount Intertiol School in Jaintia Hills was well received by the people of the region and the people are still eagerly waiting when the said School will be implemented so that they will be able to apply for admission for their children to attain quality education,” he said adding that till date nothing has been done.