CM: Will review opening of schools, colleges

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 16

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said his government would review the decision of opening educational institutions by the previous Congress regime as in a majority of cases they do not qualify as per the laid-down norms even though none of them had been de-notified so far.

The Chief Minister intervened during the question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today while the opposition was on its feet, seeking an assurance that these institutions would not be closed. “These educational institutes were opened just before the Assembly elections to get political mileage without any budgetary and staff provisions,” he said.

While replying to the query by Vikramaditya Singh on the issue, Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed that the Congress, while in power, had de-notified 158 schools where there was no enrollment and merged 109 schools, which was justified as there were no students to teach. “If the schools opened by the Congress regime qualify as per the norms we will run them or else they will have to be de-notified,” he said.

He assured that the decision would be taken on merit and not political considerations as being alleged by the Congress. “As per norms for a primary school, a minimum distance of 1.5 km and 25 students and in case of middle schools distance of three km and 25 children has to be followed,” Bhardwaj revealed.

Congress Legislature party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri objected to the repeated reference by the minister about poor quality of schools. “The minister is trying to prove that till he took over, the quality of education was very poor even though the fact remains that HP has the second highest literacy rate and has got several awards in the field of education,” said Agnihotri.

Replying to a query by Rakesh Pathania on the completion of Phinna Singh irrigation scheme, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahender Singh informed that a sum of Rs 29.09 crore had been spent on it from 2014-17. “So far work has not been started on either the dam or the reservoir, resulting in a lot of delay,” Pathania pointed out.

The minister said the completion of the project would be subject to its inclusion in the PM Krishi Sinchai Yojna even though a budgetary provision of Rs 81 crore had been made in the 2018-19 budget. He assured that the government would ensure that the scheme is completed and the farmers get irrigation facility.