Vijay Bahuguna led Uttarakhand Government has opened four engineering colleges located in Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Tehri and Dehradun in last one year.
The state government has managed to get Rs 300 crore sanctioned from the Central Government for NIT Sumari, the foundation stone for which will be laid sometime in May.
Two more engineering colleges one each in Uttarkashi and Bageshwar district will come up in next two years because local MlAs are putting pressure on the state for this. Besides it state government is planning to open one polytechnic and two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) each in 96 blocks of the state in next few years.
Meanwhile union government had released Rs 350 crore for the construction of building for IIM Kashipur and NIT Sumari as well. This was disclosed by the Principal Secretary, Technical Education Rakesh Sharma while talking to media persons on Thursday.
To provide more avenues for youth state government decided to three affiliated technical institutes namely Border Technological Institute (BTI), Pithoragarh; THDC institute of Hydro Engineering & Technology, New Tehri and Women Engineering Institute (WEI), Dehradun. Fourth engineering college is coming up in Chamoli district.
For the construction of building for BTI and WEI, the state government and Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) will contribute 50 per cent each. At present BTI, Pithoragarh is running in Government Inter college Pithoragarh and ITI, Pithoragarh and imparting five curriculum namely civil, mechanical, electrical, computer science & engineering and electrical & communication engineering with 60 students each in five streams. For the construction of building state has allocated 11 acre land.
WEI, Dehradun was established to provide education opportunity to the women who wish to go for higher study after completing diploma in polytechnique. At present the institute is imparting engineering in five streams and 209 students are enrolled here. With these colleges state government has maintained balance between Garhwal and Kumaon Division as well.
For the construction of women's engineering college building UTU would give 10 acre land within its campus. For IIM Kashipur, which is running from temporary building and has sought sugarcane institute building, and NIT Sumari, which is running from ITI and Degree College, union government has allocated Rs 350 crore.
Besides it state government is giving full emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure of existing ITI of the state. Keeping in view of large number of working youth, IIM Kashipur is going to open their campus in Dehradun to run Executive Development Program (EDP) as well.