Jorhat, Feb. 20: More than a year after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the National Institute of Design (NID) at Cinnamara, Jorhat, work is likely to start with the construction of a boundary wall and other infrastructure soon.

An official of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, who had visited Jorhat recently said provisionally classes would start from a rented house in the district from July.

Additional deputy commissioner, revenue, Dhiren Hazarika, said P.S.G. Kurup, adviser, administration and finance, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, had inspected a number of buildings, including the nursing home of physician Jiba Bora where a few courses of the NID could be started provisionally from July this year.

The venue, however, has not been finalised yet.

Hazarika said Kurup had told the administration that the amount had been sanctioned and tender had been floated for constructing the boundary wall following which work on the institute will begin.

“Work will most likely to start in the next couple of months,” Hazarika said.

On February 19 last year, Singh said: “I am especially happy that the new institute is being set up in Assam with which I have a special bond. I represent Assam in Parliament and to me coming here is like coming home.”

The need for design intervention for Indian products and services was visualised by Jawaharlal Nehru who had encouraged the setting up of the National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad in 1961.

NID Ahmedabad conducts graduate-level diploma programmes in eight design disciplines and 16 sector-specific post-graduate programmes.

“The National Institute of Design has evolved as the touchstone of good design education in India while continuing its efforts for spreading knowledge of traditional Indian design across the world. But one institute cannot serve the growing and variegated needs of our nation. Therefore, this new institute at Jorhat is a timely and welcome initiative,” Singh had said in his speech.