Gangtok, June 25: Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang convened a high-level meeting of the Education Department at Samman Bhawan today. Present in the meeting were Minister for Education Shri Kunga Nima Lepcha, Additional Chief Secretary Shri G.P Upadhyaya, Secretary Sikkim State Teachers’ Recruitment Board and SPD Samagra Shiksha Shri Bhim Thatal, Director Secondary Education Smt Hondala Gyaltsen, Principal Chief Engineer Shri Praveen Pradhan, Chief Engineer Shri AB Subba, Additional Chief Engineer Shri CK Pradhan, Director Finance & Accounts Sri BB Subba, Director-in-Charge Scholarship Sri Sonam Denzongpa and the officers from the CMO.
The Chief Minister reviewed some of the major civil works being carried out by the Department in the Elementary, Secondary and Higher Education sectors. He desired that the construction work of the Centre of Excellence proposed at Chakung should start immediately and the allocated fund must be utilized within time. The Department has been directed to initiate all-out effort to complete this reputed project well on time.
While mentioning damages caused to the schools and other educational institutional properties, he instructed the Engineering Cell and the ACS that funds may be managed from appropriate areas like natural calamity funds. He further mentioned that requisite funds have been earmarked in the budget provision for developmental activities, fencing, upgradation, repair works, and new buildings for several schools. Development of auditoriums, fencing works, grounds for colleges have also been sanctioned for which the Department has to take up the work on priority.
In his instructions to the Engineering Cell of the Department, the Chief Minister mentioned that funds have been provided for repair works and construction of school buildings. He further mentioned that repair-works shall be taken in the current financial year for exclusively 100 new primary schools. Construction and repair work for these 100 primary schools are to be prioritized keeping in view the importance accorded to the primary education by the National Education Policy, 2020. The NEP 2020 emphasises the first five years of schooling as a fundamentally important area where all round development of children is focused.
He further stressed upon starting the construction of Sikkim State University at Tarku, South Sikkim.
The Department is in the process of establishing one Model School at Assam Lingzey for the purpose of admitting the students under the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Scheme. This school will be on autonomous mode and students selected for CMMSS will study. This school will also admit other students. Apart from this, four model schools (one in each district) are also being established for which fund provision has been made and therefore operationalization of these schools should be expedited.
The Chief Minister further directed the Department that all project related activities should also be accomplished in coordination with the Department and Engineering Cell. Funds allotted from RUSA, Samagra Shiskha, MDM or other centrally sponsored schemes need to be utilized timely and orderly. In the matters where such centrally sponsored schemes are not sufficient to cater, the State Government will take up such matters.
The Chief Minister also called for proper coordination with the Welfare Department.
(Press Release from Education Department, GoS).