The rate of admission in government schools of Manipur escalated by 25 pc during the four years and eight months tenure of the present BJP-led government, claimed Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday.
As a result of the increase of student enrollment, the PAB had approved Rs 5.95 crore for school education this year. During the past years, the PAB approved only around Rs 2.8 crore, supplemented Union Education Minister S Rajen.
They were briefing the media during the release of a booklet on completion of four-and-half years of the BJP-led government held at the chief minister's secretariat in Imphal West.
Regarding the report of the 16th Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2021 or ASER 2021 which mentioned that enrolment in government schools in Manipur has fallen from 26.8 per cent in 2018 to 13.4 per cent in 2021, Biren clarified that the report is baseless and its completely false and not official.
"The ASER is a political based NGO, who works for some vested interest. Regarding the misleading information, the state government had booked a contempt case," he added.
Biren said that the government in its tenure had given more focus on the education sector and healthcare, as education is the backbone of human society and nothing is possible without a healthy life.
To strengthen government schools in terms of infrastructure, teacher-student ratio, a total of 237 schools in the state (176 in valley and 61 in hills) have been amalgamated, he informed.
Biren also informed that the government had picked up 2,300 dropout students and were given free education.
For the well being of health, drinking water facilities had been connected to 4.5 lakhs households under the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said, adding only 5.7 per cent of the households in Manipur got tap water connection in 2019-20. Presently, 51 per cent of the households in Manipur got the facilities of tap water, he added.
He also said the CHMT was introduced after considering the living standard and capacity and those who were not eligible for PMJAY due to being left out in the 2011 Socio-economic census.
So far, above eight lakhs individuals had acquired the health cards and a total of Rs. 123 crore has been spent from the government exchequer for treatment under the PMJAY and CMHT, he added.
As most of the population does not have the habit of routine health check ups, the state government has recently launched the "CM Health for All" programme.
He explained that under the programme medical experts will visit door to door and conduct medical check up and different testing to detect any underlying diseases and give treatment freely under CHMT or PMJAY.
Presently, the programme is going on in 64 villages of the state. Once it ends, it will continue in another 64 villages (four from each district), he added.
Biren also highlighted the various achievements of the government in various fields such as increase in organic farming cultivation, development in irrigation facilities, exporting of various products, getting of GI tags, upgradation of DM College into university, installation of oxygen plants in various districts, development in healthcare facilities, development in road connectivities among others.
NPP and NPF legislators were not present in press the conference on Monday.
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