Shillong, Aug 26: The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) constructed in the New Shillong Township is likely to be inaugurated by November, this year.

This was informed by the Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani after conducting an inspection to the NIFT at Mawdiangdiang, which is about 7.4 kilometers from Shillong here on Monday. Irani was accompanied by chief minister Conrad Sangma.

The union minister during her visit acknowledged the beautiful landscape where the NIFT campus is coming up and said, “I must compliment that this is one of the most beautiful NIFT campuses in the country. We are currently now onward to dedicating textile projects to the people of Meghalaya.”

The construction of the NIFT permanent campus was started in 2013. The campus spreads over an area of approximately 20.13 acres provided free of cost by the Government of Meghalaya.

The overall progress of work is 98.95 per cent and the amount spent so far for construction of the campus is Rs 76.34 crores. The project is based on 90:10 funding pattern.

Earlier, the project was sanctioned at Rs 74.65 crore wherein Rs 67.15 crore was funded by the Centre while Rs 7.50 crore from the state government. However, later the project cost was revised to Rs 87.07 crore.

Further, a proposal to again revise the project cost at Rs 18.15 crore was approved by the SFC in its meeting held on May 3, this year.

The NIFT authority has also recently requested the ministry to approve one of the two options being proposed.

These include for release the funds of Rs 18.15 crore as the work is in progress for additional work which was approved by the EFC for retaining walls and other works for functional the new permanent campus at Shillong so that the unspent balance of Rs 10 crore may also be utilized or grant permission to utilized fund of Rs 10 crore for construction work of NIFT permanent campus at Shillong which is laying with NIFT for academic infrastructure expenditure.