Silchar, Jan. 2: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Silcoorie village near here has stolen a march over Assam University to start a social welfare project in some backward villages in south Assam districts.

N.V. Deshpande, director of NIT Silchar, said the institute has already decided on four villages — one each in Cachar and Dima Hasao districts and two in the Karimganj district near the Indo-Bangladesh border as part of its phase-wise social project.

Assam University, around 24km from here, had also proposed to pick as many as 10 poor and undeveloped villages in four south Assam districts but its project is still lying on the drawing board.

The director said the project to be undertaken in Defelala and Mokamtilla villages under Karimganj district is aimed at skill upgrade of local youth, who were not able to continue higher education or computer education for the unemployed. The project will also look to improve roads and the transport infrastructure and set up drinking water facilities in both the villages.

Deshpande said a centre for computer learning would be set up in a shed at Mokamtilla for women as part of the scheme. Sources in the institute also said the NIT would teach communicative English to at least three selected female students of the village so they can find suitable employment. The director said two solar energy plants would soon be set up at both Mokamtilla and Defelala.

The development of two other villages of Lajong and Tukergram in Dima Hasao and Cachar districts respectively would be taken up in the second phase.

Deshpande said the funds for the project would be sourced to plan outlays of both central and state welfare schemes and the institute would be engaged in identifying various schemes for enhancing the incomes of the poor people in the villages.

Mokamtilla has a single primary school, where the present strength is 69, while for secondary education, the children have to go to Patherkandi, a block-level town 17km from the village.

Karimganj deputy commissioner Deveswar Malakar said he would try to gather Rs 25 lakh from a slew of community development funds in the district for the proposed technology shed at Mokamtilla, so that apart from computer education, youths can also pick up skills of a motor mechanic and driver.