Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that as many as 4,000 government schools in Assam will receive infrastructure boost within the next five years.

The state government will spend Rs 5,000 crore for it and as a part of that initiative, Sarma has visited five government schools in Guwahati to review their physical infrastructure.

He visited Sonaram Higher Secondary School at Bharalumukh, Cotton Collegiate Government Higher Secondary School, Kamrup Academy Higher Secondary School, Tarini Charan Girls' Higher Secondary School and Gopal Boro Government Higher Secondary School and inspected their existing infrastructure.

During his visit, the Chief Minister asked the Public Works Department to prepare a blueprint for the creation of new infrastructure in these schools keeping the provision of large open spaces and modern classrooms.

Talking to mediapersons here, Sarma said that the state government has taken a comprehensive step for infrastructure development involving 1,000 high and higher secondary schools across the state.

Under the plan, infrastructure development will be brought about in educational institutions with the right kind of intervention. He, however, added that if any educational institution has a building that is more than 100-year-old, the government will help to preserve the building as a heritage building under the plan.

Initially, as an experiment, the state government would take up 10 schools in and around Guwahati for their infrastructure development.

After the completion of work, the government would take up eight to nine schools in each Assembly constituency for their infrastructure development, and accordingly 1,000 such schools will be revamped with the creation of new and adequate infrastructure involving the financial outlay of Rs 5000 crore.

Sarma also informed that in the next phase, another 2,000 schools will be taken up for this exercise.

"Accordingly in the next 10 years, all the schools in the state will be brought under the ambit of the plan, "he added.

State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Education Advisor to Assam government Nani Gopal Mahanta and senior government officers accompanied the Chief Minister during his visit to the schools.