Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today inaugurated the academic block and hostel of Captain Williamson Sangma Government College in Baghmara, hailing it as a demonstration of his government’s commitment to improving the education scenario in the state in general and Garo Hills in particular.
A number of bigwigs were present, including Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma, former Education Minister and current chief advisor to the government Lahkmen Rymbui, Baghmara MLA Kartush R Marak and Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang.
The function was held on what was the eighth death anniversary of Purno A Sangma, the CM’s father and political behemoth.
Purno had laid the foundation for the college in 2008, as his son recalled. The CM also expressed gratitude to Rymbui “for having initiated the process of transformation in the education sector”, a press release said today, before reposing confidence in Rakkam to bring about further transformations.
He then went on to highlight how his government has increased the level of spending on education and other youth-centric areas.
The Chief Minister further said that he had visited and inspected Baghmara College in 2019 and found the building to be unsafe for the students besides being old and rundown.
“It gives me immense pleasure that within five years we are able to provide this new infrastructure to the youth and people of Baghmara,” he said and added that the Cabinet will soon pass the proposal for Science and Commerce streams in Sohra, Williamnagar and Baghmara colleges.
Baghmara is on the receiving end of several other development programmes, such as the sanctioning by the central government for 50 more beds at the local civil hospital at a cost of Rs 15 crore, while Rs 5 crore has been pledged by the state government for staff quarters.
In conclusion, the CM urged the teachers and students to collectively take the responsibility to make the college a centre of excellence “where great minds meet, discuss and bring out ideas to bring pride to yourselves, the district and the state.”
The college was established 30 years ago in 1994 but provincialised only in 2008. The current infrastructure upgrades were approved on a budget of Rs 10.80 crore.
The college only currently offers Arts and has 1,180 students.
