Thursday, April 12, 2007

Orissa and Gujarat are also demanding for IITs says Union Minister of state for HRD Mr. Fatmi: Patna Daily

Patna: April 12, 2007

Central Human Resources and Development Minister M. A. Fatmi, on Thursday, said that if the Bihar government failed to provide lands for setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and 16 Central Schools, the project may be moved from Bihar to some other states that are keen on providing the required lands for the project.

"Three Central Schools earlier slated for Raxaul, Nawada, and Madhepura have already gone to other states and if the Nitish government does not act fast, the state may lose other 16 schools and the IIT as well," Fatmi said.

"Orissa and Gujarat are also demanding for IITs and if the state does not move fast enough, Bihar may miss out on it for a long time," he said.

Fatmi, who was talking at a press conference in Patna, accused the Nitish government of failing to attend meetings on education called by the Center. "Neither the state minister nor the education secretary ever attends any meeting. This shows they are not serious about improving the status of education in Bihar," the minister said.

He said that the Bihar government needed to make available 5 to 10 acres of land for the Central Schools to be built.

"In the fiscal year 2006-07, the Center made available Rs. 2,400 crores for various educational schemes but the government was able to spend only Rs. 1,400 out of it. The state government also failed to appoint 1.82 lakh school teachers as outlined in the plan and had to settle with 1.5 lakh teachers that also includes 70,000 'shiksha mitras'," Fatmi said.

"Instead of blaming the Center for everything, Nitish Kumar should try to attain the goals and turn the plans into realities," the Central Minister advised.

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