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Borkotoky urges Irani to retain funding pattern

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 8 � The State Education Minister Sarat Borkotoky today urged Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani to retain the 90:10 funding pattern for the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) programmes of the State.

In a memorandum to the Union Minister, Borkotoky also sought release of the remaining Rs 152 crore of the Rs 263 crore committed by the Central Government for the Model School Scheme initiated by the latter in 2009. Besides, the State should also be paid the money due to it at the rate of Rs 1.16 crore per school per year for running the 74 Model Schools for five years.

He also called for steps to continue Central funding beyond the initial five-year period for continuing the Information and Communication Technology at the Schools Scheme in 2,850 schools of the State.

Borkotoky also requested the Union Minister to extend the period of exemption granted to the State�s school teachers from the D El Ed courses for a further five-year period under the Right to Education Act.

He also requested for granting permission to the KK Handiqui State Open University to run the B Ed course in open and distance-learning mode to ensure uninterrupted classes in the State�s schools in view of the NCTE extending the term of the B Ed course to two years from the existing one year.

Borkotoky told the Union HRD Minister that to provide one teacher in each class in the State�s LP Schools, the State needs to appoint five teachers against each of these schools. But the Government of Assam cannot bear the financial burden of engaging such a huge number of teachers in the elementary sector. He therefore, sought support from the Union Government for the purpose.

He asked the Union Minister to extend support to the State Government to equip its school teachers with vocational training by setting up a vocational training centre, in line with the Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Central Institute for Vocational Training, Bhopal.

Borkotoky further called for support from the Central Government in strengthening the finances of the Gauhati University, the Dibrugarh University and the Cotton College State University to help develop the State�s Women�s University and its Science and Technology University, and also to raise the honorarium of each of the cooks and helpers to Rs 4,000 per month from the existing Rs 1,000 per month.

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