Rs 1cr fillip for education in Chopal, minister flags off key school projects

Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Wednesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 1 crore in the Chopal Assembly Constituency of Shimla district, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure in rural and remote areas.

The minister inaugurated the newly constructed building of Government Senior Secondary School in Damiana and said the Education Department had sanctioned around Rs 62 lakh for the project. Of this, Rs 40 lakh has been utilised to complete the construction so far. To ensure the remaining infrastructure and facilities are in place, Thakur announced an additional Rs 31 lakh for the school.

He also announced funding for the construction of the Primary School building in Damiana and extended Rs 15,000 from his discretionary fund to encourage students for their cultural performances.

Later, Thakur laid the foundation stone for the Primary School building in Bagain, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. Addressing a public gathering there, he said this project would benefit local children who previously faced challenges due to lack of infrastructure.

He added that the construction of the Government Senior Secondary School building in Bagain had been pending for nearly a decade. The state government has now approved a budget of Rs 25 lakh and the work is expected to be completed soon.

Highlighting the government’s focus on quality education, Thakur said the present Congress-led government is making sincere efforts to address teacher shortages and improve school facilities.

“While only 511 lecturer posts were filled during the BJP’s five-year term, more than 700 lecturers have been recruited in just two years under the Congress government,” he said. He added that over 15,000 posts in the education sector have been approved, with more than 5,000 already filled.

Himachal Tribune