Academic session of College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tura
Shillong, Mar 6: The state will be applying for All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) permission in December to start the academic session of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tura in West Garo Hills District.
The government will apply for the permission in December this year since the website for the purpose is open only during this period, informed Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma while replying in the Assembly during the question hour.
“Despite all the challenges, the infrastructure has been completed and we are now in the process of getting approval from the AICTE (for starting the academic session of the college),” said the minister.
The education minister also informed that the total amount of money sanctioned by the Centre for the project is Rs 26 crore with a funding pattern of 90:10 ratio out of which Rs 23.4 crore has already been released so far.
The Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma while raising a supplementary question expressed concern over the delay to start the academic session of the college and said, “It is a project funded on a 90:10 basis and we are blocking further sanctioning (from the Centre). We cannot establish only one such college in Tura when thousands of students across the state are required to take up such courses.”
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had to step in when Mukul accused the minister of trying to withhold information by not stating the reasons for the delay.
The chief minister clarified that the delay was mainly due to the covid pandemic and road connectivity. “But we are happy now that work is completed and we will be starting the academic session very soon,” he assured.