Block elementary education office inaugurated in Ronhat
Minister for Education Rohit Thakur inaugurated the new block of elementary education office in Ronhat, situated in the Shillai Assembly constituency, in the presence of Industries, Parliamentary Affairs and Labour & Employment Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan.
Extending his congratulations to the local residents, Chauhan expressed his satisfaction over the opening of the office in Ronhat. He noted that earlier teachers from the region had to travel to the Bakras office for administrative work, but with this new facility, such services will now be accessible locally.
Chauhan highlighted that development works worth over Rs 200 crore are currently underway in the Shillai constituency. These include infrastructure projects in roads, education, healthcare and other essential services. Once completed, these initiatives will significantly enhance the quality of life for the local population.
He also mentioned that the state government has provided 34,000 jobs so far during its current tenure and aims to increase this number to one lakh by 2027.
Upon their arrival in Ronhat, both ministers received a warm welcome from residents who greeted them with traditional musical instruments and local cultural expressions.
Addressing the public gathering, Education Minister Rohit Thakur congratulated the people on the inauguration of the office and lauded Chauhan’s leadership, noting that Chauhan is a six-time MLA and a senior leader of the Congress who, along with his family, has been dedicated to the service of the Shillai region.
Thakur also acknowledged Chauhan’s pivotal role during a recent political crisis aimed at destabilising the state government. He emphasised that the people of Himachal Pradesh thwarted this attempt and reaffirmed their faith in the Congress government under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
He further pointed out that Himachal Pradesh suffered damages worth Rs 10,000 crore due to recent natural disasters. Despite reduced financial support from the Central Government, the state, under the leadership of CM Sukhu, continues to move forward on the path of progress.
The minister highlighted that one of the first decisions of the present government was the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS) to 1.36 lakh employees in the state. He also said nearly 300 teachers have been appointed in the Shillai constituency in the past two years. In Sirmaur district, 68 schools previously had no teachers; this number has now been brought down to just eight.
Across Himachal Pradesh, the number of such teacher-less schools has dropped from around 350 to fewer than 50. Thakur criticized the previous government for appointing only 511 lecturers during its full term, in contrast to the current administration which has appointed 700 lecturers through the commission process—56 of whom have been posted in Sirmaur district alone.
He also stated that the government is establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools in every assembly constituency in a phased manner. He emphasized that the state is witnessing visible improvements due to the ongoing educational reforms. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released in January 2025, Himachal Pradesh has topped the charts in student reading proficiency and is ranked among the best states in school education across multiple parameters.
In support of local education initiatives, the Education Minister announced a grant of Rs. 3 crore for the Day Boarding School in Sataun. He also assured budgetary provisions for repair and construction of additional classrooms in six schools in the Ladhi area of Ronhat sub tehsil, and confirmed that staff appointments for the newly opened Ronhat Block Elementary Education Office will be made shortly.
Himachal Tribune