SHILLONG:
The state government is spending Rs 39.88 crore monthly for the payment of salary to over 32 deficit colleges, people’s colleges, ad hoc colleges and lump sum colleges in the state.
Out of this, Rs 320,868,676 is spent for 13 deficit colleges, Rs 56,198,954 to 8 people’s colleges, Rs 21,276,960 to 6 ad hoc colleges and Rs 500000 to 5 lump sum colleges, according to official sources.
The 13 deficit colleges include- St Edmunds College (Rs 36038293), St Mary’s College (Rs 34803054), St Anthony’s College (Rs 51018119), College of Teacher Education (PGT) (Rs 5086777), Sankardev College (Rs 34858193), Synod College (Rs 27153033), Shillong College (Rs 38816778), Lady Keane College (38813119), Shillong Commerce (Rs 6664360), Union Christian College (Rs 26664866), Mendipathar College (Rs 4878050), Don Bosco College (Rs 11458648) and Seng Khasi College (Rs 4615386).
The 8 people’s colleges are Ampati Degree College (Rs 5854662), Shangpung College (Rs 4861503), Jaintia Eastern College (Rs 6611058), Tirot Sing College (Rs 7425143), Nongstoin College (Rs 9759882), Nongtalang College (Rs 9299447), Ri Bhoi College (Rs 7899892) and Tura Christian College (Rs 4487367).
The 6 ad hoc colleges are Durama College (Rs 4129344), Tikrikilla College (Rs 1854048), Acheng Rangmanpa (Rs 1871040), Sngap Syiem College (Rs 4129344), Raid Laban College (Rs 5076864) and Women College (Rs 4216320) and 5 lump sum colleges include Thomas Jones College, Bormanik College, St Mary’s CTE, Phukan College and Kazi Zaman College.
Recently, the Meghalaya government had sought comparative data on the fees charged by the various private colleges in the state.
The fee charged by the private educational institutes have irked the parents and student community despite the support given by the government.
Education minister Rakkam A Sangma had then stated the government will decide on fee structure after receiving the comparative data.
“We have asked for a comparative data (related to the fee structure) from all the colleges. We will wait and see. However, personally, I would like to request the heads of all institutes and their managements since maximum support (is given to them) if they could consider, it would be a big relief for the students as the purpose and objective of the existence of these institutes is to give education to our students,”he had said.
Sangma had informed that during the last two years, the education department has sanctioned over 509 plus posts of both teaching and non-teaching staff in 20 colleges adding this shows that the state government led by Conrad K Sangma is according priority to education.
The government has sanctioned over 100 posts for St Mary’s College Shillong, PGT College – 18, Don Bosco College Tura – 30, Seng Khasi College, Shillong – 18, UCC – 55, St Anthony’s College, Shillong – 119, Shillong Commerce – 15, Mendipathar College – 20 (and it has become 34 because of people’s college) and Sankardev College – 72, Synod College – 71, Lady Keane College – 85 and St Edmund’s College – 82.
In the ad hoc pattern, Women College – 22, Raid Laban College – 34, Tikrikilla – 12 (and now it has become 32 because of people’s college) and Durama college – 23.