Himachal Pradesh Monsoon Devastation: 51 School Buildings Destroyed, Rs 69.27 Crore Loss

In Himachal Pradesh, the devastating impact of heavy monsoon rains this year has led to the destruction of 51 school buildings, with an additional 1,057 partially damaged structures, resulting in an estimated total loss of Rs 69.27 crore, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said according to a report by PTI. Addressing the assembly during the Question Hour, the minister assured that the completely destroyed buildings would be given priority for reconstruction, and the department has already sought additional funds for this purpose, the report said.

Partially damaged buildings will undergo phased reconstruction, and Minister Thakur emphasized that a survey of damaged structures would be conducted. Priority will be given to renovating unsafe buildings, as conducting classes in such facilities poses a potential risk to students. The affected schools have a total enrollment of 19,101 students.

In a related infrastructure development, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh announced that the Parwanoo Industrial area in Solan district will be connected to National Highway 5, PTI reported. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) with an estimated cost of Rs 2.62 crore has been prepared for this initiative.

Shifting focus to land distribution, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi informed the House that 752 pending cases involve providing two or three 'biswa' land to landless individuals for housing construction, according to PTI. Notably, the highest number of pending cases, 273, is in Una district, followed by 217 in Mandi, 114 in Solan, 42 in Chamba, 39 in Bilaspur, 36 in Kullu, 14 in Kinnaur, 12 in Shimla, and five in Kangra. The minister acknowledged the need to expedite the resolution of these cases to address housing needs for the landless population in the state.