Kolkata, Aug 27 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday said the PM SHRI school project will be launched in West Bengal to improve education. The school will be built soon in Malda district.
Majumdar announced this while inaugurating the new building of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Aradhapur, Old Malda Town.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Khagen Murmu, BJP MLAs Gopal Chandra Saha and Chinmoy Deb Barman, District Magistrate Rajnabir Singh Kapoor and several officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) were present at the inauguration ceremony. The Aradhapur Kendriya Vidyalaya in Narayanpur, Old Malda, is run mainly by BSF authorities.
Families of officers and jawans live in the accommodation located in the large BSF campus in the area, while some live in rented houses outside. A school was built in Aradhapur for their children’s education.
Later, the Central Government acquired the school, and for the past few years it has been a full‑fledged Kendriya Vidyalaya. The school was functioning in an old building until the Ministry of Education decided to construct a new one, which was inaugurated today.
Speaking at the event, Majumdar said the school previously held classes in a dilapidated building. He noted that the infrastructure created here is among the best in Central Schools. He added that in the next two to three weeks, a notification will be issued to establish a Navodaya Vidyalaya (PM SHRI School) in Malda district.
He pointed out that the Central Government had been trying to establish this school for a long time, but the initiative did not succeed as the previous state government was hesitant to provide land. Finally, the new state government handed over the land.
Addressing media persons after the event, Majumdar said that in this year’s budget, the government committed to establishing more than 70 Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country, with work already underway.
He said more than 12,000 Kendriya Vidyalayas are functioning nationwide, and they will be converted into PM SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) in the future. State governments are also being allotted PM SHRI schools.
He further said that the current Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has signed the PM SHRI project, thanking him for the support. He recalled that during the previous government’s tenure, the Centre had approved a Navodaya School for Malda district, but the project stalled due to non‑availability of land. The new government has now completed the land transfer.
According to him, the government will issue a notification in a couple of weeks, after which construction of the school will begin. Students will be able to study in this fully residential school at almost no cost.
–IANS
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