A Government Degree College would be opened at Pangi to cater to higher educational facilities to the tribal people of Pangi near to their homes.
Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the tribal Bhawan at Balu constructed at a cost of Rs. 86 lakh on the outskirts of Chamba town after he laid the foundation stone of Government Degree College campus at Sultanpur, estimated to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 7 crore. Millennium best Polytechnic at Sarol, first phase to be constructed at cost of Rs. 11.50 crore inaugurated first session of the college, near Chamba today.
Chief Minister said that record 21 colleges were opened in one year in the State raising the number of degree colleges to 71, most of which were in the rural and tribal areas. He said that degree colleges had already been made functional at Rekong Peo, Kukumseri (Lahaul), Bharmour, Tissa, Salooni in district Chamba which were catering to the educational needs of the students.
Singh said that his Government had opened higher educational centres in the rural areas while tribal areas were also provided with similar facilities so that rural students could avail of facilities near to their homes, especially for the girls, who otherwise were unable to pursue their academic pursuits after schooling. He said that literacy percentage had reached at about 85 percent in the State and women literacy had also reached over 75 percent. He said that with the opening of new degree colleges in the rural areas the women literacy was likely to increase further.
Chief Minister said that people of Pangi were indebted to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister for permitting transfer of Tandi-Killar road to the State Government as also for sanctioning Rs. 7 crore for the maintenance and improvement of the same. He said that SAACH pass road was also being widened to accommodate plying heavy vehicles for which Rs. 15 crore were being spent.
Chief Minister said that old college building of Chamba would be restored it being the heritage building and would add to the heritage status of one thousand year old Chamba town. He added that new college would be equipped with best of the infrastructural facilities to cater to the best educational facilities to the students.
Later, Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Additional Drinking Water Supply Scheme to Chamba town including Treatment Plant estimated to cost Rs.5.92 crore which would be able to meet the increasing demands of water in the town.
