Embassy of India

Vientiane, Laos

Groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a primary school building at Kalangphou village, Nong district, Savannakhet province , Lao PDR

A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a primary school building at Kalangphou village, Nong district, Savannakhet province, Lao PDR was held on 05 January 2023 in the presence of the Ambassador of India Mr. Dinkar Asthana and Vice Governor of Savannakhet province, Ms. Lingthong Sengtavan. Representatives of Savannakhet provincial authorities were also present. During the ceremony, books for the use of the children were also gifted.

2. The project consists of the construction of a new building with three classrooms and toilets. The school infrastructure will facilitate primary education in this remote mountainous village of the Bru ethnic community and provide a conducive learning environment.

3. The project has been financed through a grant assistance of about US$ 50,000/- under the Government of India’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) scheme under Mekong-Ganga Cooperation. QIP are projects with short completion periods that directly benefit local communities, with results that are immediate and visible, which contribute significantly to economic and social development and improvement of public welfare, and give impetus to the existing good bilateral relations between India and Lao PDR.

4. India’s development assistance to Lao PDR covers many areas—capacity building through the Indian Technical and Economic (ITEC) Programme and long-term scholarships for higher studies, projects under lines of credit or soft loans, joint Lao-India centres for Entrepreneurship development and English language training as well as heritage conservation projects, including restoration of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Vat Phou, by experts from the Archaeological Survey of India deputed under the ITEC Programme.

5. Ms. Lingthong Sengtavan, Vice Governor of the Savannakhet province in her remarks appreciated the provision of assistance for the implementation of the project in the education sector which is an important sector for socioeconomic development of the Lao PDR.

6. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to gift books in English on India’s history, religion, culture and folklore to the Vice Governor for the library of the Governor’s office in Savannakhet province. The books would serve the dual purpose of informing the readers about the above-mentioned facts of India and improving their English at the same time.

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