Shimla, August 3, 2015: Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh today laid the foundation stones of Arts block, science laboratory and a multipurpose hall in Government Senior Secondary School, Shoghi in Shimla Rural segment. These projects will be completed at an outlay of Rs. 1462.87 lakh.
The Art Block will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 879.74 lakh having six storeys whereas Rs. 189.77 lakh would be spent on construction of Science Laboratory. The multi storeyed multipurpose hall will cost Rs. 393.36 lakh and have facility of accommodating around 900 students besides facility of two halls, stages, green rooms and toilets.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh was fast emerging as one of the developed State in the country. He said number of educational and health institutions had been opened during the last two and half years to facilitate the students of the State in getting higher and vocational education.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that education sector had been given utmost priority and Rs. 5077 crore were being spent on vital sector during this fiscal. He said that the Government was ensuring qualitative improvement in education sector besides expansion of educational infrastructure in the State. As a result of progressive policies of the State Government, the literacy rate of the State was about 83 percent which was merely 32 percent at the time of Statehood in 1971, he added.
The Chief Minister said that the most of the educational institutions had been opened in the State during the Congress regime. He said that Himachal being a hill State, priority was being given to open school even in those areas where student strength was low keeping in view tough conditions.
He said that presently most of the areas had school facility and now the focus of the Government was to bring improvement in quality of education. School Management Committees would be strengthened to further ensure quality education in schools, he said adding that quality education was the present requirements.
He said that after Portmore, Shimla the GSSS Shoghi would be developed as a modal school. He directed the PWD authorities to complete the construction of all the three projects with in stipulated time period.
The Chief Minister said that Rs. four crore were being spent on developing the famous religious place Tara Devi Temple during this year and Rs. 1.86 crore would be spent in the second phase. The temple would be constructed in a purely Pahari Architect so that sanctity of the temple could be protected.
He assured to consider the demand of Community Health Centre at Shoghi and directed the health department to put up the case.
Shri Vikramaditya Singh, President Youth Congress congratulated the staff and students of the Shoghi School for getting new academic blocks. He said that various educational, health and other institutes had been opened in Shimla Rural constituency which had also helped in easing out the pressure on Shimla city.
He thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning Fine Arts College and Subzi Mandi at Shoghi and urged the people to contribute in the developmental works. He also urged the Chief Minister to direct the concerned departments to complete the developmental works sanctioned earlier before starting the work on new announcements.
District Rural Congress President Shri Kehar Singh Khachi thanked the Chief Minister for giving pace to the developmental works in the State especially in the Shimla Rural constituency.
Block Congress President Shri Chandershekhar Sharma and former Block Congress President Shri Devender Kumar also spoke on the occasion.
Smt. Shakuntla Pathak, Principal, GSSS Shoghi honoured the Chief Minister and thanked for laying foundation stones of three projects of the school.
A colourful cultural programme was presented by the school children on the occasion.
President Congress Sewa Dal Shri Anurag Sharma, Additional Chief Secretaries Shri V.C. Pharka and Shri P.C. Dhiman, Deputy Commissioner Shri Dinesh Malhotra and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.