Enrollment in tea garden area schools rising every year
CM lays foundation stone for centralized community kichen at Rongapara in Sonitpur
Mid-Day Meal scheme benefiting thousands of students: CM Dr. Sarma
Dispur, September 4: Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today laid the foundation stone and performed bhumi pujan of a centralized community kitchen at Durrung Tea Estate, Singrijan in Rongapara, Sonitpur district.
The facility to be built over 1,718 sq. meters, will include staff quarters, a training centre, a multipurpose hall and utility and security blocks.
Speaking at a large public meeting, the Chief Minister said that the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme has greatly benefited students from poor families.
Alongside mid-day meals, the state government has also introduced free uniforms and free admission schemes, which together have created a healthy educational environment in Assam.
He added that model schools established in tea garden areas are drawing significant attention from parents and the public. As a result, school enrollment in tea garden areas has been steadily increasing every year.
Dr. Sarma recalled his visit to the ISKCON temple in Bengaluru in 2009, when he was Education Minister, where he was deeply impressed by the temple’s kitchen and food supply system.
The Chief Minister said that inspired by this, he initiated the first centralized kitchen in Jalukbari constituency with the Akshaya Patra Foundation. For the past 10–12 years, this kitchen at Amingaon has been serving mid-day meals to 45,000 students and also providing meals to hospital attendants and patients.
The Chief Minister said that under this initiative, a centralized kitchen has already been set up in Jorhat, catering to 20,000 students. Another is nearing completion in Majuli by the end of this year. Construction of such kitchens has also begun in Nalbari, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur recently.
The new kitchen at Rongapara will cover schools across Tezpur, Rongapara and Barchala constituencies, benefiting nearly 25,000 children with clean, nutritious meals.
Dr. Sarma said the government will spend ₹25 crore on this project, while the Hare Krishna Movement will build a temple at the site. Funding for mid-day meals will be shared, with 60% borne by the state government and 40% by Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Students in tea garden areas will be among the biggest beneficiaries, he mentioned. He also said the government is considering providing breakfast for students in tea garden areas, as many parents leave early in the morning for work. A proper breakfast, he noted, would help children study in a more stable environment.
Reiterating the state government’s commitment to strengthen education, the Chief Minister highlighted several initiatives, including model schools in tea gardens, Gunotsav, distribution of bicycles to Class IX students, free admission for higher secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate students and the Nijut Moina scheme for girl students.
He said that under this scheme, the state government provides ₹1,000 per month to Class XI girls, ₹1,250 per month to undergraduate and ₹2,500 per month to postgraduate girl students. These measures have ensured that no girl student drops out after Class XI, he said.
The Chief Minister announced that from November, a new scheme will be launched providing ₹300 per month to every student appearing for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination, until they pass.
This will support five lakh students across Assam.
The Chief Minister also mentioned other welfare measures such as ₹250 subsidy for LPG cylinder purchases under Orunodoi scheme from September 17 and supply of salt, sugar and pulses at subsidized rates along with rice to ration card holders from November 1.
MP Ranjit Dutta, MLAs Krishna Kamal Tanti and Ganesh Limbu, Chairman of Akshaya Patra Foundation (Northeast) and Hare Krishna Movement, Guwahati Janardhana Dasa, Chairman AMTRON Ritubaran Sharma, DC Ananda Kumar Das, senior officials and other dignitaries were present in the programme.
