The Meghalaya government will invest Rs 50 crore for setting up nine community colleges to make higher education accessible to students, especially those from rural areas.
Addressing reporters after a Cabinet meeting here today, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the one-time capital expenditure for the colleges will be Rs 50 crore, while recurring expenditure would stand at Rs 53.11 crore.
There are two categories of community colleges - Ground Field (existing colleges which will get one-time investment of Rs 2 crore) and Green Field (newly set-up colleges at Rs 10 crore each).
In the first phase, colleges falling under the ground field category include Nongstoin College, Tirot Sing Memorial College, Ri Bhoi College, Shangpung College and Jaintia Eastern College, Khliehriat.
New community colleges to be set up under green field category are Tura, Ampati, Chokpot and Rongjeng, he said, adding, these colleges will have science, commerce and arts streams.
Stating that the new model of colleges was conceptualised to relieve the burden on the state capital, Sangma said, "The establishment of the community colleges will address the demand and supply gap in providing seats to students who aspire to take up higher education."
This is one of the best models to ensure that students from rural areas have a dedicated college at their own backyards, the CM said.
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