CM dedicates tribal hostel to students

Shimla, Apr 17 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today dedicated 200-bed capacity Shaheed Bhagat Singh hostel, the 11th Tribal Hostel, at Summer Hill here to the students of Himachal Pradesh University.

The Chief Minister said that so far 11 tribal hostels having bed capacity of 801 students, had been dedicated to the students of the university and colleges in the state while addtional five hostels with bed capacity of 342 and estimated to be constructed at a cost of Rs 391.77 lakhs were at different stages of construction.

Mr Singh said besides tribal, other hostels were also being constructed to provide students with better boarding and lodging facilities.

The Chief Minister said that speical attention was being paid towards the quality education fo the tribal students and adequate budgetary provisions made in the Tribal Sub Plan for facilitating their studies.

He said that literacy rate amongst the tribals had increased to 80.74 per cent compared to 12.85 per cent in the year 1961 while the women literacy was also increasing at a rapid pace and had reached over 60 per cent.

Mr Singh said that his government has earmarked nine per cent of its budgetary provisions under the Tribal Sub Plan so that the development of the tribal areas was carried at a faster pace.

UNI