Non-government aided colleges will now get financial aid from the State Government for infrastructural development.
With infrastructure remaining a pressing issue for many such colleges in the State, the Department of Higher Education (DHE) has, for the first time, decided to grant funds to these educational institutions for infrastructure development in the 12th Plan.
An amount of Rs 6.02 crore has been earmarked towards infrastructure development in 115 non-government aided colleges in the first phase. This includes 40 colleges in KBK and tribal sub-plan (TSP) districts and the remaining 75 colleges in other areas. The colleges have been selected on the basis of their academic performance in the last five years.
An amount of Rs 12 lakh will be provided to each non-government aided college in KBK and TSP districts and `10 lakh to colleges in other districts.
Additional Secretary RN Mohanty said while the DHE will release 50 per cent of the amount to the colleges this month, the institutions in KBK/TSP districts and other districts have been directed to pitch in one fourth and one third of the sanctioned amount respectively. “These colleges have been asked to form college building committees which would implement and monitor the works. Colleges would submit their utilisation certificates in a year’s time, after which funds for next phase work will be sanctioned,” Mohanty said.
The focus is on construction of additional classrooms, common rooms for girl students and women lecturers, lavatories, computer and science labs, libraries, digging up of deep borewells in colleges located in water scarcity areas and purchasing generators for institutions which do not have electricity facilities.
Secretary of the department Gagan Dhal said the decision in this regard was taken after it came to the notice of higher education officials that poor meritorious students in such colleges are often missing out on classes either due to lack of teacher or poor infrastructure. “While many colleges do not have science and computer labs, others do not have the mandatory common rooms for girl students. Since, there is no government involvement in functioning of these colleges, nobody pays attention towards infrastructure issues,” he said, adding that filling up teacher posts in these colleges will soon be taken care of.
Prior to this, DHE only provided block grants to such colleges on salary heads.