Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various projects at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, on Friday.
He inaugurated the multi-faculty building Phase-III, constructed at a cost of Rs 10.09 crore. The building will have three academic floors, a Computer-cum-CBT Lab and a parking facility. He also inaugurated the newly established CBT Lab, which will go a long way in expanding teaching capacity and supporting digital learning initiatives.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of a new academic block to be constructed at a cost of Rs 8.25 crore. The building will have five storeys, along with parking, new classrooms and academic space to accommodate the increased student intake.
Following this, the Chief Minister reviewed various schemes and projects of Himachal Pradesh University. He said the state government was providing every possible support to strengthen the University and was granting aid of Rs 150 crore annually for its development. He said these initiatives would strengthen infrastructure, digital transformation and academic excellence at the University.
Recalling his association with the institution, he said, “I myself was a student of Himachal Pradesh University, but there has been a significant transformation over the years.” He emphasised the need to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to meet future challenges.
Sukhu further said that the state government was actively promoting clean and green energy initiatives. In this direction, Himachal Pradesh’s first Green Hydrogen Project is being established at Nalagarh in Solan district. He urged the University to undertake research in the field of green hydrogen, highlighting its immense potential for the state.
He said Himachal provides ecological services worth nearly Rs 90,000 crore to the nation. However, the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) under the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission is expected to result in an annual loss of Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore to the state. Despite this challenge, he expressed confidence in the government’s ability to address the situation with determination.
The Chief Minister said while the state government continues to assert and safeguard the rights of Himachal, it is equally important to utilise available resources effectively in the larger interest of the state. He added that the government was implementing several transformative measures aimed at making Himachal a self-reliant and economically sustainable state.
The Chief Minister said the Computer-cum-CBT Lab would enable youth from Shimla district to appear for computer-based tests conducted by the H.P. Rajya Chayan Aayog at HPU. Otherwise, they would have to travel to other districts to take such examinations. He said around 250 candidates could avail themselves of this facility at the CBT Lab.
MLAs Harish Janartha, Suresh Kumar, Sanjay Awasthy and Vivek Sharma; Shimla Municipal Corporation Mayor Surinder Chauhan; Chairman of the H.P. State Cooperative Bank Ltd., Devender Shyam; Himachal Pradesh University Vice-Chancellor Mahavir Singh; and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Follow us
