In the coming year, the budgetary allocation of the department is set to be increased to Rs 900 crore from the existing Rs 500 crore.

“We are coming up with about 300 madrsahs and 800 Madhyamik Shiksha Kendras (MSKs) and Shishu Shiksha Kendras (SSKs) in the state,” Minister for Minority Development and Madrasa Education Abdus Sattar told The Indian Express.

The minister said budget is not a problem for the department as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee personally ensures that no budgetary constraints come in the way of its functioning.

“We have already given permission to nearly 70 madrsahs and the remaining will be given soon. Most of the madrsahs that will be set up will be for higher education,” Sattar said.

Earlier, in the budget presented by the state government in March 2009, the allocation of the department had been raised from Rs 110 crore to Rs 524.11 crore. This would be the second time in a row that the budget will be increased by nearly Rs 400 crore.

In the coming year the department is keen on opening at least one English-medium madrsah in each district — the first of its kind in the country. The officials of the department claim that each of these madrsahs will have a residential hostel facility.

The government has already received proposals from North 24-Parganas, Cooch Behar, Malda and few other districts.

The department also plans to extend computer education module to 200 madrsahs in the state. At present, there are 30 madrsahs where the facility is available.