Manipur govt to construct 25 residential schools

Imphal, Jul 9: The Manipur government has decided to construct 25 residential schools in the state with funding from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Manipur Information Centre Joint Director Meghachandra Kongbam said here today that state Education Minister L.Jayantakumar met Union Secretary (School Education and Literacy) in the HRD Ministry Arun Kumar Rath at New Delhi yesterday and discussed about financial assistance from the Ministry for setting up residential schools in Manipur.

Giving details of the meeting, Mr Kongbam said the Secretary informed the Minister that the Centre would extend financial assistance to the tune of Rs 2.50 crore for construction of residential schools on the Centre-state sharing basis of 75:25.

The Manipur Minister urged the Union Secretary to consider the share at 90:10, which was decided by the Committee of Education Ministers of the North Eastern States at its meeting held at Agartala recently.

Approving the Minister's proposal, the Secretary informed him that the Union Ministry would hold a meeting of the Secretaries of School Education of all States and Union Territories in the last week of this month to discuss the issue and the selection of the residential schools to be constructed in the country would be finalised.

The state budget earmarked Rs seven crore for construction of seven residential schools in Manipur during 2008-09.

Meanwhile, the state would prepare and submit a concrete proposal in the matter.

UNI