Winter session: Recent Rain fury damaged 51 school building in Himachal: Education Minister
Shimla, Dec 19
As many as 51 schools were completely damaged in the state during the recent rain fury in Himachal Pradesh, and 1057 were partly damaged. This information was provided by the Education Minister, Rohit Thakur, while responding to a query raised by Vinod Kumar of the Nachan assembly in Mandi during the question hour on Tuesday.
He stated that a total of 1057 primary and higher educational institutions in the state suffered a loss of Rs 69.27 crore due to the rain, out of which 20 primary and higher educational institutions under the Nachan assembly constituency suffered a loss of Rs 72.80 lakh.
He mentioned that 541 primary schools and 25 high schools have been affected in the state, requiring an estimated amount of Rs 21.57 crore for repairs.
The rain has affected the education of about 9530 boys and 9571 girls due to the shifting and closing down of several schools.
Vinod Kumar alleged that three primary schools in his constituency were combined with other schools, forcing students to travel two to three kilometers away from their previously closed schools.
He also mentioned that a primary school in the Nachan assembly has become unsafe due to a landslide, forcing students to enter the school through a window of the unsafe building.
The minister assured the members that the government would order a report about such schools. However, the state government may not be able to repair or maintain all the schools immediately, and funds could be provided in the next budget in 2024-25, as the department is facing massive devastation due to monsoon rains.
Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur and BJP MLA Balbir Verma said that many schools are operating in dilapidated buildings, and some schools suffering due to damaged and unsafe structures are operating in Mahila Mandal and other places. Thakur suggested that the government should relocate the premises of some schools, as due to landslides and the caving in of retaining walls during the rain, it is not feasible to continue running schools in the same premises.
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