Himachal: Norms for Rajiv Gandhi schools may be modified

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 18

The state government may review norms for setting up Rajiv Gandhi day boarding schools due to the non-availability of sufficient land at suitable places where the student attendance will be sizeable.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had announced in his Budget speech for 2023-24 that one Rajiv Gandhi day boarding school each would be set up in all 68 Assembly segments. However, the government faced problems in finding suitable sites, resulting in slow progress on the scheme.

Sources in the Education Department said that of 18 sites selected for these schools, only three were found to be suitable. At most places, huge chunks of land identified for the purpose would require huge money as development cost, which the cash-strapped government could not afford.

The Education Department wants the school sites to be close to urban centres or big habitations so that at least 1,000 students could enroll there and avail of the best possible facilities and infrastructure proposed to be built.

They said that the government wanted to be cautious in its approach before finalising the sites, as some school buildings constructed at a huge cost earlier were lying idle due to low student enrollment.

Education Department officials said that the building of an Atal Adarsh Vidyalaya constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore in the Dharampur Assembly segment of Mandi district during the previous BJP regime was lying idle in the absence of students.

In fact, the work on many Atal Adarsh Vidyalayas, a scheme launched by the previous BJP regime, could not begin as many sites were not available for want of forest clearance. The Education Department would prepare a proposal for putting many such buildings to use.

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