Shimla, Aug 29,
The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha witnessed a heated exchange during the monsoon session as the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP clashed over the status of government boarding schools. The debate was particularly intense around the Atal Adarsh Vidyalayas (AAV) scheme, a project initiated by the previous BJP government, amid allegations that the current Congress-led administration was moving toward privatizing these schools.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu firmly denied any plans to privatize the AAV schools, directly countering accusations from the opposition. In response to a query raised by Vinod Kumar, MLA from Nachan, Sukhu asserted that the BJP was misleading the public by suggesting that the government intended to auction off schools under the AAV scheme. He clarified that no such decision had been made and confirmed that the AAV schools announced by the previous government had not been merged with the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools, an initiative introduced by the current administration.
Sukhu did not hold back in his critique of the previous BJP government’s performance, accusing them of contributing to a significant decline in the state’s educational standards. He pointed out that during the BJP’s tenure, the state’s education quality dropped by eight ranks, attributing this to politically motivated decisions rather than a genuine focus on improving education.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi added fuel to the fire by revealing that funds initially allocated for an AAV school in Nachan had been redirected to Dharampur. Negi assured the assembly that the government would continue with the AAV scheme as soon as resources allowed.
This led to further concerns from BJP MLA Vipen Parmar, who questioned the government on mixing the AAV scheme with the Rajiv Gandhi Model School Scheme. Negi clarified that the Rajiv Gandhi schools were intended for day boarding, while the AAV schools were fully residential.
Opposition Leader Jai Ram Thakur defended the BJP’s record, accusing the Congress of deceiving the public. Thakur argued that the decline in educational standards was due to the current government’s closure of schools established by the BJP. He referenced a newspaper advertisement as evidence of the government’s intent to lease out AAV schools, but Sukhu dismissed these claims as baseless, reiterating that there were no plans to involve the private sector.
The debate clearly underlined the stark differences between the two parties on educational policy and showcased the ongoing battle for credit over initiatives aimed at improving the state’s education system.
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