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50% fees waived in Govt-run or aided Meghalaya schools

By STAFF Correspondent

SHILLONG, June 8 - The State Government today announced that 50 per cent students� tuition fees would be waived for the period between April to June in Government-run or aided schools.

After a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma here, it was decided to provide relief to the students in �all government-aided, deficit and deficit-pattern schools� of the State.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, this decision was taken based on petitions received from various organisations and parents� bodies from across the State since the past few months.

�From March 17, the government has closed down educational institutions across the State. Ever since, quite a number of petitions were received from parents, traditional heads and NGOs requesting the Government to at least reduce the monthly tuition fees,� Tynsong said.

Therefore, a proposal came from the Education Department in the review meeting today and a thorough discussion was held and then finding merit in the petitions, the decision to provide relief was taken.

It was also decided that if fees have been paid in advance, then these would be subsequently �adjusted� by the school authorities, Tynsong informed.

On institutions run by private managements, the Government has also announced that these institutions would only collect tuition fees and no additional fees like library, computer charge and other fees would be collected from the students from April to June.

Tynsong said that the Education Department would hold talks with the private institutions to convince them that they too waive 50 percent of the tuition fees of the students and provide the necessary relief.

The other important decision taken today was that people entering the State after June 10 would have to pay for their transportation charge from either Guwahati Railway Station or the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to their respective quarantine centres.

So far the State Government has been paying for the transportation of the people entering the State from different parts of the country from the airport or railway station in Guwahati. This would stop now.

�The decision taken today is that from the 11th of this month, for those who come in, transportation charges have to be borne by the concerned individuals from Guwahati Railway Station or the LGBI Airport,� the Deputy CM said.

However, the temporary office at the Guwahati Railway Station and the airport would assist the people coming in. Such individuals would be provided transportation to the quarantine centres in the State against a cost.

Till today, 13,990 people entered the State and still others are coming in. Tynsong said that initially the plan was to pay from the transportation charge to those who have registered to come in.

�The number of people who had registered to come home was 10,288 and was eligible for free transportation. However, we have gone beyond this number for their safety, but need to stop somewhere,� he added.

On SoPs to conduct import and export with Bangladesh, Tynsong said one of the most stringent SoPs has been drafted by the Industries Department for carrying out trade with Bangladesh.

Citing an example, he said that drivers entering Bangladesh are not allowed to leave their truck or meet anyone, but dump their goods at the unloading site and return.

�Once the driver returns, they are not allowed to stay with their family and have to take Reverse Transmission Polymerase Chain Reaction test every ten days,� the Deputy CM said.

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