SHILLONG, July 21: Even as it defended the Centre’s record on national exam integrity, the State BJP on Tuesday accused the state government of “abandoning” crucial education projects in the Garo Hills, claiming that central funds meant for community colleges and infrastructure are vanishing into a black hole of poor implementation.
State BJP vice president and Tura MDC Bernard N Marak alleged that despite substantial funding from New Delhi, the education sector in Garo Hills remains in shambles. Marak pointed specifically to the failure of the 2014 Tripartite Agreement—a peace pact signed between the Centre, the State, and the disbanded Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) aimed at boosting local development.
According to Marak, the agreement’s vision of establishing community colleges in every block and Assembly constituency remains unrealised. “Every district in Garo Hills still has only one government college, resulting in limited seats and inadequate facilities for our students,” Marak said.
The BJP leader claimed that while official reports suggest the upgradation of polytechnics and technical institutions, many of these projects are either incomplete, abandoned, or exist only on paper.
He highlighted a dire shortage of qualified faculty, overcrowded classrooms, and dilapidated rural school buildings that lack basic amenities.
Marak further alleged that the state’s failure to implement these projects over the last 12 years has contributed to rising school dropout rates, unemployment, and drug addiction among the youth. He urged the MDA government to expedite pending works and ensure the timely disbursal of scholarships.
Addressing the national controversy surrounding the NEET paper leak, the state unit backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “zero-tolerance” stance. The party described the swift arrest of 13 accused and the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act as a decisive shift from previous administrations. The BJP maintained that the Centre remains committed to safeguarding the interests of students through enhanced digital security and transparent examination protocols.
