AAP promises free and quality education if voted to power in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, August 17

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “guaranteed” free and quality education to every child in Himachal Pradesh if Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Urging people to vote for AAP while addressing a gathering of party workers and sympathizers here today, Sisodia offered five education related guarantees to the people. Apart from free quality education, Sisodia promised Delhi-like facilities at schools, filling up of all teaching vacancies and making all teachers permanent, sparing teachers from other government works and retraining private schools from arbitrary fee hikes. “We have revolutionized the education system in Delhi, the work has started in Punjab and we will do the same in Himachal,” said Sisodia.

Incidentally, education is already almost free in government schools in the state. According to a government school principal, students are charged no fee/funds till Class VIII. “In Class IX and X, students pay just Rs 24 per month for various funds. In Class XI and XII, boys pay a tuition fee of Rs 15 per month and around Rs 50 for various funds. Girls are exempted from paying tuition fees,” he said.

Highlighting the lack of quality in government schools, Sisodia said 2,000 schools had just one teacher, 6,500 schools had just two teachers and 47 per cent colleges had no principals. “The Punjab government has started transforming the education system in Punjab. Teachers are being sent abroad for training and Education Department officials and principals are being sent to IIM Ahmedabad and Indore. We have started witnessing the change in just five months,” said Sisodia.

Meanwhile, Mann urged the people to move beyond the BJP and the Congress, like the people in Punjab and Delhi have. “Like the BJP and the Congress do in Himachal, the Congress and the SAD were taking turns every five years to cheat and befool people in Punjab. People were helpless as they had no other alternative. The AAP provided a strong and honest alternative and people gave us an unprecedented mandate. Now, the people here should do the same,” said Mann.

Listing curbing corruption, offering pensions to MLA for just one term, providing free electricity to a huge majority, opening Mohalla clinics and freeing up government land from illegal influential individuals as the major achievement of his five-month old government, Mann asked the people of the hill state to snap the BJP-Congress cycle and give AAP a chance.

Taking a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing parties of distributing rewaris (freebies), Mann said, “If we are distributing rewaris, what was Rs 15 lakh promise to everyone? A papad!” quipped Mann.