The initiatives primarily focus on strengthening education infrastructure and improving access to higher learning, especially for students from rural and remote areas.
File Photo
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday unveiled and laid the foundation stones of several development projects worth Rs 25.79 crore during his visit to the Una Assembly constituency.
The initiatives primarily focus on strengthening education infrastructure and improving access to higher learning, especially for students from rural and remote areas.
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Among the key projects, the Chief Minister inaugurated the newly constructed building of Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Una, developed at a cost of Rs 8.79 crore. The facility is expected to enhance the academic environment by providing students with modern amenities.
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He also inaugurated a state-of-the-art academic block at the Government Degree College, Una, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, which features smart classrooms, modern laboratories, and administrative units.
In addition, the foundation stone was laid for a New Girls Hostel within the college campus, estimated at Rs 5 crore, to provide safe and convenient residential facilities for female students, particularly from remote locations.
Addressing the gathering, Sukhu announced that Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Una will be converted into a co-educational CBSE-affiliated institution from the next academic session.
He emphasized the need to bring government schools on par with private English-medium institutions, stating that English-medium instruction has begun from Class 1, and 500 subject experts are being recruited.
Additionally, he informed that 961 posts for TGT (Arts, Medical, Non-Medical) are being filled, and recruitment for 600 Junior Basic Teachers (JBT) will also be initiated shortly.
The Chief Minister highlighted the state government’s visionary initiative of establishing Rajiv Gandhi Government Model Day Boarding Schools in every assembly constituency, with a ₹200 crore budget provision for the current financial year.
These schools will offer CBSE curriculum from pre-primary to Class 12 and will be equipped with smart classrooms, playgrounds, indoor stadiums, swimming pools, and music rooms, he added.
On the health front, the Chief Minister states that Rs 1350 crore is being invested to upgrade medical technology across the state.
All medical colleges, including IGMC Shimla, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda, and SLBS Medical College, Nerchowk, are being modernized with advanced equipment.
Outdated machines over 20 years old are being systematically replaced, and robotic surgery facilities are being introduced for wider public access, he stated.
Providing an update on the PGI Satellite Centre in Una, CM Sukhu said that the government is expediting the necessary environmental clearances to accelerate construction.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to youth welfare, the Chief Minister said that his government took a strong stance against the drug and mining mafia. He warned that those involved in the drug trade, especially the Chitta racket, will face imprisonment and seizure of illegally acquired property.
“We will not allow the future of our youth to be compromised. Strict action will be taken against all those indulging in drug trafficking,” he asserted.
CM Sukhu stated that despite facing economic, natural, and political challenges, the government has made consistent strides toward development. He expressed gratitude to the public for their continued support and thanked local deities for their blessings.
Responding to demands from the college community, the Chief Minister assured that the proposal for an auditorium at the Government Degree College Una would be examined seriously and an appropriate decision taken.
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