Over 1,390 government LP schools renovated across Meghalaya
CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government has completed the renovation of more than 1,390 Government Lower Primary (LP) schools under Mission Education, marking one of the largest school infrastructure drives undertaken in the State. Implemented across all 12 districts, the flagship programme has undertaken repair, renovation and construction work in government schools with an investment of nearly Rs 1,000 crore, as part of a phased effort to strengthen public education infrastructure from the primary to higher secondary levels.
According to official data, 1,607 Government LP schools have been taken up for repair and renovation across Meghalaya. Of these, 1,391 schools have been fully renovated, accounting for more than 86 per cent of the total, while renovation work on the remaining 216 schools is currently in progress. The Government said education continues to receive the highest departmental allocation in the State Budget, underscoring its focus on improving learning infrastructure.
The infrastructure programme has been implemented in phases. Alongside the repair and renovation of 1,607 LP schools, the Government completed 191 new and upgraded LP schools and seven Upper Primary (UP) schools under Phase I. Phase II covered the construction of 100 new LP school buildings, while Phase III includes 117 new LP school buildings, many of which are at different stages of completion. Under Phase IV, 186 new LP and secondary school buildings are currently under tender to replace ageing structures. In total, more than 2,000 Lower Primary and Upper Primary school infrastructure projects have been taken up under Mission Education.
The renovation work has included the restoration of roofs, walls, flooring, doors, windows and the overall finishing of existing school buildings. Newly constructed and upgraded schools are being equipped with additional classrooms, furniture, libraries and improved sanitation facilities. Upper Primary schools have also been covered under the programme, including Government UPS Mowkaiaw in West Jaintia Hills and Nogorpara Government UPS in South West Garo Hills.
Phase-wise progress shows that all 198 new and upgraded LP and UP school buildings taken up under Phase I have been completed. Of the 100 new LP school buildings sanctioned under Phase II, 93 have been completed, while seven remain under construction. Under Phase III, 117 new LP school buildings have been taken up, with 62 completed and 55 currently in progress. Besides the 1,607 LP schools taken up for repair and renovation, Mission Education has so far covered 2,208 LP and UP school infrastructure projects, with 1,744 completed, 278 in progress and 186 new LP and secondary school buildings under tender in Phase IV.
The Government said it has also sanctioned additional Upper Primary and secondary schools separately for upgradation.
The Government said it has documented the progress of the programme on a school-by-school basis, with several projects supported by geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs. It maintained that isolated photographs of schools yet to be taken up do not reflect the overall status of the programme, as the majority of Government LP schools have already been renovated or are undergoing renovation.
With nearly 15,000 elementary schools across Meghalaya, the Government said it is carrying out the transformation of school infrastructure in a planned and phased manner to ensure sustained improvements across the State.
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