Shillong : The Meghalaya Government has completed the renovation of 1,391 government Lower Primary (LP) schools under its flagship Mission Education programme, with work on another 216 schools currently in progress as part of a massive statewide effort to improve school infrastructure.
According to a government statement issued on Monday, 1,607 LP schools were identified for repair and renovation in the current phase. Of these, 1,391 schools have already been completed, achieving a completion rate of over 86 per cent, while work continues on the remaining schools.
The Mission Education programme is being implemented across all 12 districts of Meghalaya and extends beyond primary schools to include upper primary, secondary and higher secondary institutions. The state government has earmarked nearly Rs 1,000 crore to strengthen and modernise school infrastructure.
Apart from repairing existing buildings, the initiative also focuses on constructing new and upgraded school facilities.
During the first phase, the government completed 198 new and upgraded LP and Upper Primary (UP) school buildings. In the second phase, another 93 new LP school buildings were completed.
Under the third phase, along with the renovation of 1,391 LP schools, the government also completed 62 new LP school buildings, while construction of another 55 buildings is currently underway.
The fourth phase proposes the construction of 186 new LP and secondary school buildings, with the projects presently in the tendering stage.
Overall, the government has undertaken more than 2,000 LP and UP school infrastructure projects, of which 1,744 have already been completed.
The renovation works have addressed several long-standing infrastructure issues, including leaking roofs, damaged walls, broken flooring, old doors and windows. Many schools have also received improved furniture, library facilities and better sanitation infrastructure.
Among the schools highlighted for successful upgrades are Government UPS Mowkaiaw in West Jaintia Hills and Nogorpara Government UPS in South West Garo Hills.
To ensure transparency and accountability, the government said every project’s progress is being monitored through geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs.
It also clarified that isolated photographs of schools awaiting renovation circulating on social media do not reflect the overall progress of the programme, stating that the majority of government LP schools have either been renovated or are currently under construction.
With nearly 15,000 elementary schools across Meghalaya, the government said the transformation is being carried out in phases to ensure quality implementation while reaffirming that education remains one of the state’s highest budget priorities.