Congress Government in Himachal Takes Bold Steps to Revive Education and Agriculture Amid BJP’s Legacy of Economic Crisis

Education Minister Rohit Thakur sharply criticized the previous BJP government, accusing it of leaving Himachal Pradesh in economic turmoil with a staggering debt burden of ₹75,000 crore. He highlighted the Congress government’s resolve to rectify the damage caused by the BJP’s mismanagement, particularly in the education sector, which had seen a drastic decline under the previous regime.

Thakur pointed out that Himachal’s education system, once ranked third nationally, had plummeted to the 21st position in the National Achievement Survey 2021. With over 12,000 teaching posts vacant and numerous schools operating with either one teacher or none, the state faced an unprecedented crisis. Under Congress, 850 institutions have been transformed into Centers of Excellence to provide quality and inclusive education.

To address the severe shortage of teaching staff, the Congress government has taken decisive measures, including the recruitment of 15,000 teaching and non-teaching staff. This includes 3,200 teachers hired through batch-wise selection and an additional 2,800 teachers through the Rajya Chayan Aayog. Cabinet approval has also been given to recruit 700 PGTs and 6,200 NTTs, ensuring the education system regains its stability.

The Congress government introduced English-medium education from the first grade in government schools and established Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools in each Assembly constituency. Furthermore, initiatives such as the Dr. Y.S. Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana and Mukhyamantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana aim to support students and women from economically weaker sections. Other reforms include the launch of the Bal Poshtik Aahar Yojana, which benefits over 5.34 lakh students with enhanced nutritional support, and new measures to reward teachers and improve sports infrastructure.

In the agriculture sector, the Congress government addressed farmers’ and horticulturists’ long-standing demands by setting the highest support prices for wheat and maize in the country and introducing universal cartons for apple growers. Subsidies on pesticides were restored, and a ₹163 crore payment backlog for apple producers was cleared. Himachal also became the first state to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk, raising the MSP for cow milk to ₹45 per litre and buffalo milk to ₹55 per litre.

Despite the state’s contribution to tourism and the economy, the Central Government excluded Himachal Pradesh from the ₹3,296 crore Special Assistance for Capital Investment Scheme. Education Minister Rohit Thakur condemned the BJP’s efforts to destabilize the Congress government, stating that baseless controversies were being fabricated to tarnish the state’s image.

The Congress government remains steadfast in its commitment to holistic development and transformative reforms, propelling Himachal Pradesh toward a brighter and more prosperous future.

#HimachalPradesh #CongressGovernment #EducationReforms #AgriculturalSupport #PublicWelfare #InclusiveGrowth #TransformativeGovernance