Arjun Munda at the review meeting in Ranchi on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Ranchi, July 13: The state government today decided to review its financial assistance to Birla Institute of Technology (BIT)-Mesra, with a caveat on withdrawal of annual grants in future if it deemed that Jharkhand was not reaping “special benefits” from the premier institute.

The Jharkhand government pays 50 per cent of the dearness allowance and additional expenses of the teachers and employees of BIT-Mesra. Science and technology department director Arun Kumar said the state would be providing over Rs 10 crore to the institute in this regard during the current fiscal.

BIT-Mesra, on the other hand, admits 50 per cent of its students from Jharkhand. However, the state government has argued that since the cradle is based in Jharkhand, it was duty-bound to do so.

“After the review, if it is found that the state is not getting special benefits from this institute, the grants being provided to it could be withdrawn any moment,” said science and technology minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary.

This was decided at a review meeting chaired by chief minister Arjun Munda, who expressed unhappiness with the functioning of the science and technology department.

Munda asked the department to utilise its budgetary provisions and directed the building construction department to sack inefficient engineers. The meeting also decided to run engineering colleges in Chaibasa and Ramgarh and 13 new polytechnics on public-private partnership model.

Several leading educational trusts and industrial houses, including SRM University, Techno India, Averon, Synergy Group, JSPL and Usha Martin Limited have expressed willingness to run these colleges. Munda directed that the contracts be awarded to those organisations that have expertise in running top ranked private engineering colleges.

“We will soon shortlist the top engineering colleges in the country, which have been providing quality education and have excellent placement records. We will talk to their management and invite them to run our new engineering colleges. It will be done on a war footing, since we intend to begin teachings in these colleges from the next academic session,” Choudhary added.

It was also agreed to run the polytechnics in Gola, Pakur, Garhwa, Gumla, Baharagora, Chandil and Jagannathpur with the help of public sector undertakings.

As the building construction department now does not have adequate number of engineers, it was decided to involve PSUs for running proposed polytechnics at Khunti, Simdega, Jamtara, Giridih, Chatra, Palamau, Lohardaga, Dumka, Sahebganj, Godda, Deoghar, Hazaribagh and Dhanbad.

Reviewing the HRD department, Munda also ordered that all formalities for filling vacant posts of schoolteachers be completed by September. Calling for early recruitment of plus two schoolteachers, he asked officials to ensure they receive payments on time.

A state-level commission will also be constituted for protection of child rights.

Besides, Munda stressed on setting up model schools and improving quality of education in such institutes.