By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 28: The Opposition in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has asked the VPP-led Executive Committee (EC) to push the state government to return the responsibility of managing Lower Primary School Education (LPSE) to the council.
On the second day of the KHADC’s budget session, NPP MDC Grace Mary Kharpuri enquired whether the current EC intends to request the state government to restore the council’s authority over the management of primary schools.
In response, Executive Member in-charge of Education, Aibandaplin F Lyngdoh recalled that the EC would need to further assess whether it is feasible for the council to again take over the management of the LPSE.
Chief Executive Member Shemborlang Rynjah said the state government has managed the lower primary schools for many years. He acknowledged that reclaiming this responsibility will be challenging and emphasised the need to review the decisions of the previous EC on the matter.
“We will involve all members of this august House to determine the best way forward,” Rynjah stated. Lower primary education in Meghalaya was under the jurisdiction of the autonomous district councils until it was taken over by the state’s Education Department in the 1990s.
Earlier, NPP’s Nongpoh MDC Rona Khymdeit asked the EC if it has planned to continue the special financial assistance scheme for primary schools. She recalled that during her previous tenure as an MDC from 2014-2019, the council had allocated Rs 36,000 to each MDC to support primary schools.
The EM in-charge of Education replied that the council has been providing financial aid to lower primary schools since the 2008-2009 financial year depending on availability of funds.
“We provide financial assistance to schools that do not benefit from any state government schemes or programmes,” Lyngdoh explained.
She said for the current financial year (2024-2025), Rs 25 lakh was sanctioned, of which Rs 12.24 lakh has been already spent.
At this, leader of opposition Titosstarwell Chyne asked, “We would like to know if the EC intends to release the remaining amount to enable all 29 MDCs to provide support to primary schools in their respective constituencies.”
He said this will be particularly helpful for the newly-elected MDCs who can use the funds to support the schools.
Rynjah assured that the EC would release the pending amount to allow the MDCs to offer financial assistance to the schools which are not getting any kind of financial support at present.