Shillong, March 16: The Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Tuesday said that the state government is waiting for the response of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on the request to allow state agencies and corporations for construction of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).
Replying to a query asked by opposition MLA HM Shangplaing, Rymbui said, “Chief Minister has written a letter explaining all the reason which our local PSU or Government agencies which could not participate to kindly consider this project to be given to the state agency or the Government but till date the reply is not given.”
Further, the Education Minister said all the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) sanctioned to Meghalaya are in the process of implementation.
Rymbui, however, said the project has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which has entrusted the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) to implement this project.
The NESTS have called Expression of Interest (EOI) for the agencies to implement this project.
Asked, he said, “This project has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tribal affairs and the Ministry of tribal affairs has entrusted to the National Education Society for Tribal student (NEST)to implement this project and the Nest have called EOI for the agency to implement this project, but the EOI which was called infact the Education department, the planning department has written to MeECL, MGCC, MIDC and PWD building to participate in this EOI but that period is in the midst of Pandemic .. it seems because our covid Monitoring system is very stringent here and that time the work we could not, these department, corporation and PSU in our state could not participate and the other agency from outside the state participate thats why the NEST allotted those work to them.”
Earlier, the Minister informed the house that the Manipur Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (MIDC) was selected to execute the construction work for 25 EMRS, Water and Power Consultancy Services Ltd (WAPCOS) for 13 EMRS and Engineering cell, Education for 2 EMRS
Asked about the status, Rymbui said, the construction work at Samanda, East Garo Hills and Pahamsyiem, Ri-Bhoi have started. The remaining schools, the DPR and site selection work is going on.
