Bhubaneshwar: After pact, Gajapati to get extra classrooms

BERHAMPUR: The Gajapati district administration on Friday signed memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) Limited, a Navaratna company, for construction of additional classrooms and installation of reverse osmosis (RO) water systems in some of the government-run primary schools in the predominantly tribal district.
The MoA was signed between Gajapati collector Anupam Saha and Surendra Pradhan, general manager (finance), REC regional office, Bhubaneswar, in presence of senior officers of the district and the company.
According to the MoA, the public sector undertaking (PSU) will construct 53 additional classrooms in 32 government-run schools through REC Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the PSU. The Navaratna enterprise will spend Rs 3.32 crore under the CSR initiative for the purpose, a company source said. The construction of the new classrooms would be completed before reopening of schools after summer vacation, an official said. The additional classrooms would be constructed in government schools of Gosani (3) Rayagada (3), Mohana (10), Nuagada (5) Gumma (5) and R Udayagiri (6) blocks under the Aspirational District Scheme (ADS), the official added. Gajapati has been identified as one of the aspirational districts in the state by the Niti Aayog.
The finance assistance of the REC Limited to the district would boost primary school infrastructure in the district, said the collector. Besides, this would also facilitate quality education to the students, he said. Similarly, the REC will provide Rs 1.57 crore for supply of RO water systems to 94 government-run schools across the district. The amount was sanctioned under the CSR of the PSU last year. Utilising the funds, the district administration would also continue the Super 30 programme initiative to impart coaching to 30 brilliant students in the district to excel in the annual high school certificate (HSC) examination. District administration had launched the Super 30 programme last year.