Govt to spend Rs 120 cr on public service infra devp

SHILLONG, July 13: The state government will spend Rs 120 crore to improve infrastructure in public service at all blocks.
An estimated 1,800 government LP schools, which are in a bad shape, will get Rs 3-4 lakh each. A decision towards this effect was taken at a conference which Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had with all deputy commissioners.
“We have discussed overall infrastructure improvement in multiple sectors as you are aware this government has been focusing on clear-cut strategy in policy to improve overall infrastructures, especially when it comes to public service areas like hospitals, schools, blocks or police stations,” Sangma told reporters on Wednesday.
Stating that the government made a concerted effort to ensure infrastructure development in these areas neglected for a long time, he said new buildings are coming up at all the blocks.
In a lot of them, the tender process is going on. Approximately over Rs 120 crore has been sanctioned and works for new buildings are going to start by August or September at all the blocks, the CM said.
On the decision on schools, he said, “The first phase of improvement of schools was started by including new extension buildings. We have gone further and decided 1,800 government LP schools, which were not repaired or in a bad shape, will be repaired through the district-level decentralised approach.”
He said DRDA and different education officers will work together to ensure the repair work. He said Rs 3-4 lakh will be spent for the work, including renovation, electricity, water supply and furniture. “Roughly, a budget of Rs 3-4 lakh will be given to each school,” Sangma said.
He said a similar model will be adopted for the improvement of PHCs, CHCs and health sub-centers.
He said the government has decided to decentralize the renovation work to avoid delay. The entire fund will be given directly to the DRDA and the district authorities. The district authorities will sit down with the medical officers and take up the work, he said.
Sangma said many schemes, programmes and issues were discussed with the DCs. He said the focus was on how the delivery mechanism in terms of process, rules, policy and utilization of technology could be improved at the grassroots-level.
He further said discussions were held on disaster management keeping in mind the recent floods that caused the deaths of people and damage to agriculture and infrastructure.