Himachal Govt to strengthen education infra: CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 27

The state government is committed to providing quality education to the students, with special focus on strengthening the existing educational infrastructure so that children could get education par excellence and compete at the state and national levels. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur stated this while presiding over a meeting of the Education Department here on Saturday.

Rs 116.37-crore budget earmarked

A budget of Rs3,671.95 crore has been allocated under different components to the education sector for the current financial year. Also, Rs116.37 crore capital budget has been earmarked for buildings and educational infrastructure for 2020-21, against the allocation of Rs114.36 crore during the last financial year. — Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister

He said that the government had constituted the HP State Higher Education Council, under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), to look into the overall development and growth of higher education institutes. Since RUSA grants and funds were linked to the NAAC accreditation, it had led to a healthy competition among different colleges to improve their conditions.

Thakur said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cluster University, Mandi, had been set up as per the RUSA guidelines. The Central Government had approved Rs 55 crore for the university, out of which Rs 27.50 crore had already been released. He directed the officials concerned to expedite work on the university so as to facilitate the students of the region.

The Chief Minister said that the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) had approved Rs 92 crore under RUSA since 2018 as infrastructure grants to Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, New Model Degree College, Lylh Kothi, Chamba; and for the upgrade of DAV Centenary College, Kothai; Government College, Chamba; and 26 other colleges.

“There are 929 high schools and 1,871 senior secondary schools under the government, besides 138 government colleges, which are imparting quality education to the students,” he said.

Thakur said Rs 3,671.95 crore had been allocated under different components to the education sector for the current financial year. Also, Rs 116.37-crore capital budget had been earmarked for buildings and educational infrastructure for 2020-21, against the allocation of Rs 114.36 crore during the last financial year.

He directed the officials to implement the national flagship schemes like RUSA, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Khelo India School Games, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Bharat Scouts and Guides etc in letter and in spirit so that a maximum number of students could draw benefits from them.

The Chief Minister added that Rs 98.98 crore had been spent on the Centrally-sponsored scholarship schemes during 2018-19.

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