Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, Sunday, said that government is committed to bring about tailored, significant and tangible development of much marginalised, downtrodden and economically weaker tribal communities and bring them at par with mainstream populace.The Minister said this while addressing a public gathering after laying foundation stone of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) at Gurdan Bala in Rajouri, today.The Minister said that several initiatives like tribal cluster model villages, Eklavya Model Schools, Tribal Research Institutes besides providing scholarships and setting up libraries is the beginning for the welfare of the tribal community and the students of this society.The Minister said that the school, which will spread on 170 kanal land, will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 16 Crore and will comprise on an academic block with fully equipped labs and smart classrooms, 2 hostel blocks one each for boys and girls, housing for warden, teachers, supporting staff and security besides a huge playing field.Zulfkar said the school once completed will be centre of education and learning for more than 400 boys and girl students from tribal community. He further added that the school will play crucial role to check school drop outs in tribal population and to raise their learning skills so that they can compete at state and national level.
The Minister, while directing the concerned to complete one floor each of academic and hostel blocks and in a time span of one year so that class work is started in next academic session, said the well trained and educated teaching staff from within and outside state will be made available in the school for imparting quality education to students.The Minister said the state under the leadership of Mehbooba Mufti is achieving new heights in development with people being provided better health care and transport facilities, thousands of villages have been electrified by providing transmission lines and transformers, schools and hospitals have been upgraded throughout the State, besides a number of colleges have been opened in the far-flung areas so that the students may get higher education near to their villages.MLA Rajouri Chowdhary Qammar Hussain while speaking on the occasion said the government is very sincere about welfare of tribal population and creation of tribal ministry was first step in this regard. He said the tribal department is being provided with assured funding from central and state governments for creation of infrastructure of roads, healthcare, education water and electricity supply in areas inhabited by tribal population.Present on the occasion were DDC Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary Tribal Affairs Department Mukhtar Ahmed, Director TAD Mohd Rafi, SSP Yougal Manhas and senior officers of district administration.