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Assam govt plans to overhaul infrastructure of schools at a budget of ₹5,000 crore

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed about the decision on Sunday after inspecting facilities in five schools in Guwahati, including one where he studied at for a few years

Updated on: Oct 31, 2022, 10:52:13 IST
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In an ambitious move to overhaul infrastructure of government schools in Assam, the state government has announced plans to improve facilities in 1,000 such institutions and make them ‘new-age’ schools.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (left) at the Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School in Guwahati on Sunday. (Twitter Photo)
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (left) at the Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School in Guwahati on Sunday. (Twitter Photo)

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed about the decision on Sunday after inspecting facilities in five schools in Guwahati, including one where he studied at for a few years.

“Government schools in Assam started as small buildings with additional classrooms added in separate blocks over years, which took up open spaces. Our objective would be to put all classrooms in one building and keep the rest of the area for playgrounds and other activities,” Sarma said.

The CM visited Sonaram Higher Secondary School, Cotton Collegiate Government Higher Secondary School, Kamrup Academy, Tarini Choudhury Government Girls Higher Secondary and Middle Primary School and Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School.

Sarma was a student at Kamrup Academy, which was set up in 1930. After inspecting his alma mater, the CM said that the school building will be reconstructed and have a new auditorium soon.

“We want to transform our government schools into new-age institutions. For those schools which are over 100 years old and want to preserve the buildings, we will help them,” he said.

Sarma said that in the next few years, the state government will reconstruct buildings and set up playgrounds in 1,000 schools at a budget of 5,000 crores. Ten such schools will be in Guwahati.

The chief minister is also expected to inspect five more schools in the city in the coming weeks.

Besides overhauling the existing schools, the government is also planning to construct 4,500 new ones in the coming years to match facilities provided in private institutions.

  • Utpal Parashar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Utpal Parashar

    A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More