A worrying situation regarding the infrastructure of government schools has been identified in the state of Himachal Pradesh: currently, 177 government educational institutions do not have their own buildings. Students are forced to study in various alternative locations, including rest houses, public buildings, panchayat homes, and even private premises.
This data was presented by Education Minister Rohit Taur in response to a question from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Indra Datta Lakhanapal during the final day of the autumn session of the legislative assembly. The minister stated that 1,526 schools have been closed in the state over the past three years.
Since these 177 schools lack their own buildings, their operations are carried out in temporary locations. These places include other government schools, rented private buildings, rest houses, community centers, women's circle buildings, and panchayat homes. The Education Minister specified that 12 of these schools were deemed unsafe following natural disasters.
As an example, the 'Government Senior Secondary School Kunra' in the Chamba district had its main building declared dilapidated and dangerous after a natural catastrophe. Subsequently, the school had to be moved to the Department of Public Works (PWD) rest house. Currently, this school operates in four rooms of the rest house, where 99 students are studying. The government has begun acquiring land for the construction of a new building, but the completion timeline has not been set.
According to official data, the construction of 28 new school buildings is ongoing, and a budget has been allocated for 14 other schools. However, work on constructing buildings for the remaining schools is not progressing. The main reason is either the lack of suitable land or delays in the land acquisition process. Since the state is a mountainous region, finding safe territory for many schools presents a serious challenge.
Of the 1,526 schools closed in the last three years, the ownership of 1,473 buildings belongs to the Education Department. The Education Minister noted that 577 of these vacant buildings have been transferred to other government departments or public organizations as needed. These buildings are now used for the needs of Panchayat Raj, women's circles, youth associations, Anganwadi centers, health and Ayurveda services, animal husbandry, and temple committees.
Furthermore, 53 closed schools were already operating in rented or private premises, so the associated government assets are not under the purview of the property department. Thus, Himachal Pradesh faces a dual task: on one hand, buildings vacated after school closures are being used for other public needs, and on the other hand, 177 schools are still awaiting a secure roof and permanent building.