SILCHAR, July 11 - At least 10 tea gardens in Barak valley have been selected for setting up model high schools, a senior official has said. Gonesh Borah, executive engineer, PWD (Building) at Silchar said steps to acquire the required 3.5 bigha land for each school is under way, and officials are contacting the tea garden authorities for the purpose.
According to a letter issued by the chief engineer, PWD (Building) Assam, as many as 119 model schools will be set up across 3.5 bigha land in each of the tea gardens. Executive engineers have been asked to take over the land from the tea garden authorities for construction of the model high schools.
Expressing happiness over the move by the government to emphasise on strengthening education facilities for the tea garden fraternity, Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul said that of the total gardens selected for model schools in Barak valley, three gardens fall within his constituency.
�It is a significant step by the government and I thank the Chief Minister and Education Minister for the initiative towards uplift of the tea garden community. The tea garden fraternity had been a neglected lot and I am glad that the government is paying attention towards their educational development. I shall pursue the construction work and see that the schools start operating within the next two years,� Paul said.
Even if no tea garden from his constituency was selected, Lakhipur MLA Rajdeep Goala thanked the government for giving emphasis towards better education through the model high schools.
Goala, who is also the joint general secretary of the Barak Cha Sramik Union, said more tea gardens need to be included in the scheme.
�No doubt this is an encouraging move by the government to give fillip to education for the tea garden community. This is how the community shall forge ahead and I appreciate the decision. However, I believe that barring high schools, the government must think of introducing such measures in the tea garden belts for higher education as well. I shall take up the matter with the Education Minister. It would be beneficial if the government can introduce residential educational institutions like Navodaya Vidyalayas,� Goala told The Assam Tribune.