Speed up proposal process to avail Rs 5 cr for Shillong Polytechnic
SHILLONG: HSPDP Legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Wednesday urged upon the Education department to submit the necessary proposal to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) at the earliest to avail Rs 5 crore that has been assured to the Shillong Polytechnic.
The Nongkrem legislator expressed concern that delay in submission of the proposal might lead to the withdrawal of funds to the Shillong Polytechnic by the AICTE.
“The Government was supposed to submit the Letter of Acceptance and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was to be signed by the Director, Higher and Technical Education but sadly the Government is yet to comply with these conditions,” Basaiawmoit said while moving a zero hour notice in the Assembly on Wednesday.
“The AICTE is ready to provide even Rs 10 crore depending on the approach of the State Government,” he added while reiterating that delay on the part of the department to initiate the necessary steps might result in a huge loss to the institution.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister in charge Education department Prof RC Laloo, however, did not give any assurance on speeding up the necessary process to avail the funds.
The AITCTE has undertaken a Rs 180 crore project for infrastructure development, strengthening faculty competence and improving the academic scenario of the technical institutions approved by the Council in the Northeast.
AICTE-approved degree engineering institutions and engineering polytechnics that fulfil the conditions laid down by it will receive a grant of Rs 7 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively under the project, called the North East Quality Improvement Programme (NEQIP).
Selected AICTE-approved university departments will also receive a grant of Rs 7 crore.
