Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal claimed that State was spending 19 percent of its budget on education during current financial year, which was the highest in the country. Chief Minister said that State Agriculture Department would construct check dams to store about 9 crore litres of water in district Hamirpur. He was speaking on the occasion of the Annual Prize Distribution Function of GSSS, Miar, in district Hamirpur.

Chief Minister said that all of 10 lakh students of government schools studying from first to 10th standard would be provided school uniform twice in a year free of cost to bring about uniformity amongst the students in all educational institutions. He said that infrastructural facilities were being upgraded in educational institutions to provide students best of academic environment. He said that the State had introduced inspiring life history of the martyrs of the State in academic curriculum of the students and also yog education to shape body and mind of young citizens. He appealed to the teaching fraternity to provide value based education to their students besides educating them in character building, patriotism, honesty and respect of elders and their teachers.

Dhumal said that overall development of the state was being ensured by strengthening the network of basic infrastructural facilities in the State. He said that agriculture happened to be the basic sector of hill state Himachal Pradesh which was being modernized and made income generating and employment oriented. He said that the state was taking benefit of the advancements being made by different countries in the farm sector. He said that state was motivating house owners to incorporate rain water harvesting structures into their housing plans which could be utilized for different purposes. He said that people needed to be educated about the value of piped water since it was very costly and needed to be utilized with utmost care and caution. Rs. 10 lakh for construction of examination hall of the school and Rs. 5,000 for promotion of cultural activities in the school.

Chief Minister gave away prizes to the meritorious students of the school for excelling in academics, sports and other extra-curricular activities during the previous academic session. He congratulated the award winning students and wished others best of luck for next time. He also released school magazine ‘Prayas’.

Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman said that the state government had made concerted efforts to make Himachal Pradesh a ‘Knowledge Hub’ under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal. He said that with a view to overall personality development of the students, the state government had made it mandatory to every school to organize its annual prize distribution function. He said that best education was being ensured to the students at their door steps with private participation. He said that state ranked at number one in education sector in the country. He said that 20,000 vacancies were being filled up in Education Department and state was spending Rs.3165 crore on education sector. He said that the State had won a number of awards in different fields during past four years.

Principal, GSSS, Miar, Nirmala Sharma welcomed Chief Minister and read out Annual Report of the institution. She also presented a draft of Rs. 5100 to the Chief Minister a contribution towards Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Anurag Thakur, MP Lok Sabha and National President, BJYM, Urmil Thakur, MLA, M.C.Parmar, Chairman,HP State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation, Pyare Lal Sharma, Chairman, APMC and State Presdient, BJP Kisan Morcha, Shri R.S.Mankotia, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Sarla Sharma, Chairperson, Zila Parishad, Des Raj Sharma, President, District Hamirpur BJP, Narender Atri, State President, BJYM, J.C.Rana, Director of Agriculture, Rajender Singh, DC, Kuldeep Sharma, SP, B.T. Negi, Chief Engineer, PWD, other senior officers of the State Government and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.