The Congress government of Himachal Pradesh has either closed or merged 1,201 schools, while 17 colleges have been de-notified in the state over the last two years. Former CM Jai Ram Thakur’s constituency, Seraj in Mandi district, witnessed 53 institutions facing the axe.

The government shared this information while responding to a question from Sri Naina Devi Ji’s BJP MLA, Randhir Sharma.

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Among the closed or merged institutions, there are 911 Government Primary Schools and 220 Government Middle Schools. Additionally, 34 Government High Schools, 36 Government Senior Secondary Schools, and 17 colleges have faced closure.

Lahaul and Spiti, a reserved constituency for tribals, saw 81 institutions facing the axe. This included the de-notification of 55 primary schools and the merger of 12 others. Among the middle schools, 13 were de-notified, and one was merged. Congress MLA Anuradha Rana currently represents the area.

In Rampur, a reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 72 educational institutions were closed. Among primary schools, 36 were de-notified, while 11 were merged. As many as 20 middle schools were de-notified, and four were merged. One college was also shut down. Congress MLA Nand Lal represents the area.

Theog, represented by Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore, saw 54 institutions closing down, including the de-notification of 20 and the merger of 18 primary schools, as well as the de-notification of 11 and the merger of two middle schools. Additionally, one high school and two senior secondary schools were closed.

Seraj saw 53 institutions facing the axe. This included the closure of 16 and the merger of five primary schools, as well as the closure of 12 middle schools, 12 high schools, seven senior secondary schools, and one college.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur’s constituency, Jubbal Kotkhai, saw 46 institutions closing down, while the number for Rohru (reserved for SCs) was 45.

Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi’s constituency, Kinnaur (reserved for Scheduled Tribes), witnessed the closure of 44 educational institutions.

Interestingly, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s own constituency, Nadaun, saw the closure of only seven institutions, while in Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri’s constituency, Haroli, none faced the axe.

Sukhu has alleged that during Jai Ram Thakur’s tenure, several schools and colleges were started without budgetary allocations and staff, purely for political benefits.

Though he had promised to reopen the institutions after recruiting adequate teachers and lecturers, financial constraints have prevented this from happening. On the other hand, former CM Jai Ram Thakur argued that Himachal Pradesh’s unique geography necessitates government schools as a means of providing quality education to children.