CHANDIGARH:  The decks have been cleared, for setting up of an Education City, at Sarangpur Institution Area, a part of the Union Territory, Chandigarh, with the signing of MoUs by the concerned parties with the Chandigarh Administration in the presence of the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues,  here Wednesday.

The three corporate sector companies whose representatives signed MoUs with the Home-cum-Education Secretary, UT, Mr. Ram Niwas, included NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Chitkara Education Trust Chandigarh and Indian Express Newspaper (Mumbai) Limited.

While addressing the educationists and academicians before the signing of MoUs, General Rodrigues said that the project of Education City has been conceived to create a world class educational infrastructure, with the major focus on empowering our children and sharpening their skills to make them professionally competent and confident individuals, to contribute to the growth and development of our Nation.  Special emphasis has been laid in the concept of this multi-institutional Project, to provide assistance, in the form of scholarships and low-cost quality education to the committed and intelligent students belonging to the disadvantaged sections, who cannot afford to pay normal fees in other institutions.

Giving an account of the initiatives and featuring the future development Road Map in the Union Territory, General Rodrigues said that the Education City will have effective linkages with Rajiv Gandhi Information Technology Park, Film City, Theme Park and Medicity to share necessary infrastructural support, thus making it  a world-class project to meet our future requirements, in the changing global scenario.

He said that Chandigarh is emerging as a regional hub for extending support to the 60 million people of the region and various new projects, like International Airport, Mass Rapid Transport System, Super fast Train between Delhi-Amrtisar via Chandigarh, Modern Terminal Market for Agriculture are in the advanced stage of planning and execution, to give a fillip to the social and economic structure in the region. Focused attention has been given for creating efficient physical and supportive infrastructure in different sectors by adopting advanced technological means to improve delivery systems and to provide quality service to the citizens. Responsive systems of governance free from bureaucratic hurdles, with experts on panels have been evolved for planning and implementation of different projects which are being monitored, to check progress. He said that each and every project has a component of social engineering, the empowerment of our women and children and upgrading the lives of the common man, by giving them opportunities of education, healthcare and life of respect and dignity.

Elaborating his viewpoint, General Rodrigues further said that every project has been undertaken in the public-private partnership mode in a total transparent and accountable manner.  He said that first and second phase of the Rajiv Gandhi Information Technology Park is on fast track, which will provide jobs to about 37,000 professionals.  Similarly, he said the Theme Park to be made functional in a couple of years will give a fillip to tourism as 5,00,000 tourists will visit it every year.  He said that special provision is being made in the Medicity for upgrading the health status of poor strata of society. Similarly, he said that the home for the street children, destitute women, crippled children and mentally challenged kids are shortly being commissioned. He appealed to the corporate sector to contribute their time, commitment, expertise and professional support for running these social welfare projects.

Vice Chancellor, NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) University, Dr. N.M. Kondap, while appreciating the initiatives assured to play an active participative role in various societal endeavours for building a prosperous life in the region.

esides eminent educationists in the corporate sector,  Sanjay Kumar, Finance Secretary and Vivek Attray, Director Tourism and Public Relations were present on the occasion.