Consistent efforts being made to streamline public life: Thakur
Education Minister Rohit Thakur unfurled the national flag and took salute of a grand parade at the district-level Himachal Day celebrations held at Chaugan Ground in Nahan today. Paying rich tributes to the architect of Himachal Pradesh, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, and remembering martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation, he extended heartfelt greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of the 78th Himachal Day.
In his address, the minister recalled the historic significance of April 15, 1948, when Himachal Pradesh came into being as a centrally administered Chief Commissioner’s Province after the merger of 30 small and large hill princely states. He expressed gratitude towards visionary leaders, freedom fighters, and the first Chief Minister, Dr Parmar, for their relentless efforts in shaping the identity of the state. He also acknowledged the contribution citizens who played a vital role in earning Himachal a unique recognition both in India and abroad.
Highlighting developmental strides taken by the present government since assuming office on December 11, 2022, Thakur said despite facing numerous challenges, consistent efforts were being made to streamline public life under the leadership of the Chief Minister. He emphasised that education remains the top priority of the government. He recalled that at one time, Himachal was compared with Kerala in terms of educational achievements and with focused efforts over the past two years, the state had witnessed significant improvements in the learning levels of its students.
The minister said all government schools in the state had adopted English as the medium of instruction from Class 1 to boost the confidence of students and ensure equal learning opportunities. He informed that Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools equipped with modern facilities were being established in every Assembly constituency, and in Sirmaur district, site selection and other formalities had been completed, with construction work set to begin soon.
He also shared that around 300 teachers from Himachal Pradesh had been sent abroad to gain insights into global educational practices, and 50 meritorious students were provided the opportunity to pursue academic studies in Cambodia and Singapore. This initiative had been widely appreciated at the national level, he said.
Thakur elaborated on various initiatives undertaken in Sirmaur district to uplift the education sector. Under higher education, free textbooks worth Rs 20 crore were distributed among 14,000 eligible students, and Rs 11.35 crore allocated for the construction and repair of school buildings.
In the current financial year, Rs 2.27 crore was spent under the Atal School Uniform Scheme benefiting nearly 38,000 students, while textbooks worth Rs 3.90 crore were distributed to over 56,000 children under primary education, he said. Additionally, Rs 2.60 crore were sanctioned for school infrastructure development and Rs 23 lakh distributed to over 3,500 eligible students through various educational support schemes, he added.
Turning to social welfare, the minister said more than Rs 103 crore was spent in the district on social security pensions benefiting nearly 60,000 elderly, widowed and differently-abled individuals. Under the Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashray Yojana, the district received financial approval of over Rs 1.14 crore, out of which Rs 85.41 lakh were spent for the care and support of 320 orphaned children, he added.
He further said Rs 9.19 crore was allocated to the horticulture sector in the last financial year, out of which Rs 8 crore was utilised to support 1,606 farmers. Similarly, Rs 7.64 crore was spent through the Agriculture Department to assist farmers in the district, he added.
The celebrations witnessed the participation of over 200 individuals, with students from various educational institutions presenting vibrant cultural performances. The minister felicitated all participants with commendation certificates in recognition of their contributions.
The event was attended by Nahan MLA Ajay Solanki, former MLAs Ajay Bahadur and Kirnesh Jung, Deputy Commissioner Sumit Khimta, SP Nishchit Negi and representatives of panchayati raj institutions.
Himachal Tribune