Engineering college this financial year

SHILLONG, MAR 9: The state government on Wednesday said it is seeking the approval of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and affiliation with North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) for starting the engineering college in Shillong.

“We are trying our best to start the engineering college within this financial year and we have already sought for affiliation from NEHU and approval of AICTE,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Education RC Laloo told the assembly on Wednesday.

He informed that the state government has also set up a committee for the setting up of the engineering college in the Shillong Polytechnic campus.

“This is because we would like to have both the college as well as the Shillong Polytechnic,” Laloo said while reacting to the clarification sought by the members on the move of the government to upgrade the Polytechnic into an engineering college.

Earlier there was a huge reaction from the opposition members when Laloo replied with a big ‘no’ that the government is upgrading the Shillong Polytechnic into an Engineering College.

Referring to reports on a recent function attended by the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy said, “The CM had declared that the Shillong Polytechnic would be upgraded into an Engineering College. Now whom do we believe – the CM or the Deputy CM’s reply.”

On this, Laloo said that Shillong Polytechnic will continue and the state will also have a separate engineering college as stated by the chief minister.

“The government has been exercising its mind for upgradation of the institute but we cannot deny those students who are just matric passed. That is why we have decided not to upgrade the polytechnic but propose to set up a separate engineering college,” he said.

He also said, “They (media) may have written like that but the chief minister have not stated.”

On insistence by the opposition members, the chief minister stood up to clarify that he had stated the government is going to establish (not upgrade) the engineering college. “It is a question on how statement is perceived and reproduce,” he said.

Laloo also recalled that he had spoken to the chief minister before the start of the function briefing him that the department will start the new engineering college this year and funding of Rs 26 crore will be done by RUSA.-By Our Reporter