Guwahati: The Tripura government is set to make six more Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) operational by November, a senior official said on Saturday, September 19.

The northeastern state currently has 12 functional EMRSs, which provide residential education to students from tribal communities.

According to Tribal Welfare Director Subhasish Das, construction of the six new schools has been completed, with only minor works remaining at some campuses. The institutions are expected to start functioning after the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) approved the temporary deployment of teaching and non-teaching personnel from existing EMRSs.

Fresh recruitment will be undertaken later to fill the required posts, Das said.

“The entrance test for admission to the new EMRSs has already been completed,” he added.

NESTS operates under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and oversees the EMRS programme.

Das also said Tripura has secured approval to engage construction agencies other than the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for developing new EMRS campuses.

He pointed out that the CPWD estimates the construction cost of an EMRS at more than Rs 70 crore, while NESTS has set an approved ceiling of Rs 50 crore per school.

The Tripura Housing and Construction Board (THCB), meanwhile, has estimated that a similar EMRS campus can be built for around Rs 54 crore.

NESTS has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for two new EMRS campuses at Mungiakami in Khowai district and Dasda in North Tripura district. Each school has been allocated Rs 50 crore.

Das said any expenditure beyond the sanctioned amount for the construction of the two campuses will be covered by the Tripura government.