WB to invest Rs 1000 crore for higher education infrastructure

Kolkata: West Bengal government is investing Rs 1000 crore to create more infrastructure in higher education so that general category students are not affected when reservation for OBCs begin in the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

"From 2014-15, OBC reservation in higher education will start. We will not touch the general seats but create parallel infrastructure by investing Rs 1000 crore," Banerjee said at a programme to celebrate Santhal rebellion or `Hool Divas`. She said students in the general category have grievances if the number of seats for them are reduced due to reservation. "So now SC, ST, minority, OBC and general category students will all get a chance. We will have more IAS, IPS, doctors and engineers coming out of the state," the chief minister said. The state government, she said, is also creating 500 marketing hubs or bazaars where 100,000 youngsters will get shops free of cost. "They need a market to sell their goods. We will give them the shops. Fifty such hubs are already ready and the rest are in process," Banerjee said. For tribal upliftment, she said the government will establish a Tribal Bhawan in each district of the state.