Rain-ravaged Himachal schools to get facelift with Rs 16 cr funding

In response to the extensive damage caused by unprecedented heavy rainfall and flashfloods earlier this year, the Directorate of School Education has sanctioned Rs 16 crore for the repair and restoration of 109 government secondary and elementary schools across the state.

The amount has been released to the respective Deputy Directors of Higher and Elementary Education in the affected districts — Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Solan and Una.

The funds have already been deposited into the respective official bank accounts of the districts for immediate action. The schools included under this restoration drive have been listed in Annexure-A attached to the official memo, where the allotted amount for each institution is also specified.

The memo emphasises that all repair and restoration work must be executed exclusively by HIMUDA (Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority), the designated government executing agency. Strict adherence to government norms and procedures — referred to as codal formalities — has been mandated for all works.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur said district education officials have been directed to ensure timely execution and to regularly submit physical and financial progress reports to the Directorate. Once the work is completed, utilisation certificates and completion certificates must be submitted immediately to enable effective monitoring and to facilitate further communication with the concerned government quarters.

The decision comes as a relief to hundreds of students, teachers and parents whose schools were rendered partially or completely non-functional during the monsoon disaster of 2025, which wreaked havoc in several parts of the state.

Officials have been directed to acknowledge the receipt of the funds and begin the restoration work without delay, ensuring that educational activities in the affected schools resume at the earliest.