Assam, 2nd November: The Assam government have started construction of 119 model high schools in tea garden areas. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal set the foundation stone of construction work of the 119 model high schools at tea gardens of the state at a programme held at Mekipur tea garden playground in Nazira of Sivasagar district on Sunday. He also ceremonially launched the construction of the model high schools at Mekipur and Bamunpukhuri tea gardens at Nazira as a part of the initiative.
“Tea community is an integral part of greater Assamese society and also the community has contributed vastly to Assam’s socio-cultural development,” Sonowal said while addressing the programme. “The community, that has embraced Assam and Assamese as their own and assimilated into Assamese society, must be enabled to reap advantages of equal development,” he added.
An amount of Rs. 1.20 crore would be spent within the construction of every model high school, which would be constructed by PWD and a total amount of Rs. 142.50 crore has been assigned from SOPD fund of 2020-21 for the complete project. The schools can have all amenities like modern lecture rooms, teachers’ restrooms, entrance gates, separate bathrooms for teachers and students and these schools are expected to greatly improve educational scenario in tea garden areas of the state.
Sonowal said the initiative of laying the foundation stone for constructing 119 model high schools in tea gardens of the state has become possible as part of the state government’s efforts to equally develop all communities living in Assam. He said the model schools will help in the educational development of the tea community, that has been living in Assam for nearly 200 years.
Sonowal also paid tributes to martyrs of tea community within the country’s freedom struggle like Mangri Orang, Dayal Das Panika and Biju Baishnab. He said with the step of fixing the model high schools in tea gardens can fulfil the dreams of many great personalities of the community who sought true development of the tea community. The chief minister also remembered the contributions created by numerous tea garden personalities within the development of the community.
Saying that the state government wouldn’t confine the development initiatives of the tea community only to setting up of model highschool, Sonowal spoke about the likelihood of setting up colleges as well in the tea gardens in the future. He urged the parents in the tea garden areas to encourage their kids to take advantage of various schemes launched by the state government for the education of the students within the community.
Sonowal highlighted schemes like providing 80 MMUs in tea gardens, construction of roads in more than 800 tea gardens, Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela and one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to tea community youths for self-employment. He also highlighted schemes like scholarships to meritorious students of the community, wage compensation to pregnant women of the community, smartphones to Assam tea garden sardars and free rice within the tea gardens.
Minister of State for PWD Jogen Mohan, MP Tapan Kumar Gogoi, youth leader of the tea community Prahlad Gowalla, and General Secretary of ATTSA Pawan Bedia also spoke in the programme.
