Chandigarh: The first budget of the Captain Amarinder Singh led government would provide a huge boost to the education sector, said Punjab Education MinisterAruna Chaudhary after presentation of the first budget of the government by Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. According to an official statement today, the minister elaborated that Education has been given special attention in the budget for which she was thankful to the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister. The minister said that primary education forms the base of the educational infrastructure and Rs 21 crore have been earmarked in the budget especially for furniture purchase to reform the basic infrastructure of the primary schools. Besides this, Rs 10 crore have been kept to make available computers in the primary schools and Rs 5.25 crore for green board. To give impetus to quality education, the best schools would be announced in Primary/Middle/High/Senior Secondary category in every block (216) and Rs. 9.27 crore have been allocated for the purpose. Apart from this, NRIs as well as the other sections would be made partners in the ‘Parho Punjab Parhao Punjab’ campaign intended to transform the educational sector. Ms Chaudhary further stated that ”giving high priority to the higher education sector, free wi-fi facility would be provided in all the 48 Government colleges. Not only this, 5 degree colleges would be opened in the backward regions of the state for which Rs. 15 crore have been kept. A central institute has been announced in talwandi sabo for preservation and development besides digitization and research in Punjabi language. A sum of Rs 5 crore has been kept for central state library, Patiala which would be utilised in respect of e-library besides infrastructural needs. ”For bringing about the sea change in the 142 year old Government Mohindra College and Government colleges of Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar from infrastructural point of view, Rs 10 crore have been earmarked apart from Rs 3 crore for the Urdu academy at Malerkotla for development of the language. Grants for Panjab University Chandigarh increased from Rs 26 crore to Rs 33 crore.” The minister also said that yesterday, a resolution was passed in the Vidhan Sabha thanking the Chief Minister for making significant announcements regarding education.
