Plan to develop infrastructure of HS schools under NESIDS

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: In keeping with the guidelines of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the higher secondary section will be withdrawn from colleges in Assam. In such a scenario, the Higher Secondary (HS) schools of the State will have to take on the load of the HS students studying in colleges. This means that HS schools will have to increase their student intake capacity.

Most of the HS schools in the State had been established many years ago. Their infrastructure is quite poor. Improving the infrastructure of HS schools is the need of the hour. The Assam Government has therefore, decided to upgrade the infrastructure of HS schools under various schemes in a phased manner.

Initially, the government plans to start infrastructure development of 50 HS schools under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER)’s North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). NESIDS was approved by the Government of India as a new Central Sector Scheme on 15.12.2017. Under the scheme guidelines of NESIDS, 100% centrally funding is provided to the State governments of the north-eastern region for projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity enhancing tourism, and social infrastructure relating to primary and secondary sectors of education and health.

To include infrastructure development of 50 HS schools under NESIDS, the Assam Government has already approached the DoNER Ministry. The Assam Government has also begun the process of architectural consultation for infrastructure development of the 50 HS schools so that it can prepare a proper Detailed Project Report (DPR) before the project – entitled ‘Transformation of schools in Assam under NESIDS’ – gets sanctioned by the DoNER Ministry. Some of the HS schools included under this project are theNazira HS and MP School, Moran HS School, Phuleswari Girls’ HS School, Tamulpur HS School, Jonai HS School, Borhat HS School, Majuli Auniati Hemchandra HS School, Kampur HS and MP School, Haiborgaon High School, Sipajhar HS and MP School, Bajali HS School, Diphu Government Boys’ HS School, Tangla HS School, Oranga HS School and Numaligarh HS School.

The Assam Public Works Department (PWD) has already floated the tender for architectural consultation for the 50 HS Schools. The infrastructure development of each of these 50 HS Schools is estimated to cost around Rs 8 crore.

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