Nagaland earmarks Rs 2.50 cr for 60-bedded girls hostel at Sainik school

Kohima: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday announced that the state government has earmarked Rs 2.50 crore for the construction of a 60-bedded girl’s hostel at the Sainik School Punglwa.

Presenting the budget for 2022-23 at the eleventh session of the 13^th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), Rio said, “The facility will ensure that the Sainik School is fully ready within the year for girl cadets to be admitted under the new policy, opening the Sainik Schools for enrolment of girls.”

Sainik School Punglwa was inaugurated by the former Raksha Mantri AK Antony on May 12, 2007, in approximately 210 acres at Punglwa, about 50-km away from Dimapur. According to the school’s website, the Sainik school was a result of the initiative of  Nagaland Chapter of the Old Boys Association of Sainik Schools under the leadership of CM Neiphiu Rio, who is an alumnus of Sainik School, Purulia (WB).

The Sainik School Punglwa is a fully residential school for about 600 boys. It is administered by an autonomous body known as Sainik Schools Society having a Board of Governors, with the Raksha Rajya Mantri as the Chairman.

Significantly, while addressing the nation during the 75th Independence Day last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Sainik Schools, which traditionally admit only boys, will be open for admission to girl students.

“I got messages from lakhs of girls from across the country expressing their desire to study in Sainik Schools. Hence, the government has decided that all such schools across the country will now be open for girls as well,” PM Modi had said.

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