Making use of technology, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday laid the foundation stones of buildings of 21 government colleges in 13 districts through video conferencing.
The construction of buildings will cost a total of about Rs 276 crore and would be disabled-friendly, Khattar said.
"This is for the first time in the state that the foundation stones of such a large number of colleges have been laid at the same time from the single location using IT tools," a government spokesman said.
Khattar, in the presence of the Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, said the opening of those colleges would benefit students from all sections of society, including girls and marginalised sections of society and would prove to be a milestone in higher education.
Lauding the Higher Education Department for its e-governance initiatives, Khattar said the "centralised and synchronised foundation stone laying ceremony conducted through video conferencing had led to conservation of resources and would serve as an example to all departments".
Terming it as a "historic event", Sharma said that in the last 50 years, no other government had been able to lay the foundation stones of such a large number of colleges together.
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"The opening of government colleges for women would give a boost to the ambitious 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' programme," the Chief Minister said.
These colleges are to be constructed at Manesar (in Gurugram district), Jundla, Taraori and Assandh (Karnal district), Kurukshetra, Unhani and Chhilro (Mahendragarh district), Kalanwali and Rania (Sirsa district), Mohna, Mandkola and Nacholi (Faridabad district), Bilaspur and Radaur (Yamunanagar district), Badoli (Palwal district), Raipur Rani (Panchkula district), Bhuna (Fatehabad district) and Punhana (Nuh district).
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones of additional buildings, classrooms and multipurpose halls in a few other government colleges in Haryana.
--IANS
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