Haryana could be no. 1 in quality school education in a year: Ram Bilas

The state's Education and Tourism Minister Ram Bilas Sharma tells Nitin Kumar why he feels the Bharatiya Janata Party government should be elected back to power

Employment and jobs remain concerns among voters in Haryana, even as the state has taken some strides forward in the education sector. The state’s Education and Tourism Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, who heads seven departments of the government, tells Nitin Kumar why he feels the Bharatiya Janata Party government should be elected back to power. Edited excerpts:

What are the state government’s biggest achievements in the past five years? 

Developing the 600-year-old Madhogarh fort as a world-class tourist spot is one of our biggest achievements. We have inaugurated the Indian Model Township (IMT) in Khudana village. I have inaugurated the Satnali anaj mandi (wholesale market for grains) in 2014, when I was in charge of the food and supply department. These steps will boost employment in one of the most backward belts of the state. This will not only benefit Mahendragarh, but also the neighboring districts.

Haryana is ranked third in the School Education Quality Index 2019 rankings compiled by the NITI Aayog. What is your next target?

We are eyeing the top spot in one year. Once we form the government, we will prepare an action plan. In fact, Haryana has been ranked number 1 in moral  education after we had introduced the Bhagavad Gita as a part of the school curriculum across the state. 

The IMT in Khudana was one of your dream projects, but it hasn’t taken off in five years.

The IMT we are developing in Khudana is one of the biggest. The work is in progress and we are trying to complete it on a war footing. Road construction has started. 

There were some pending legal issues because of which land acquisition was stalled. 

This has now been sorted, and  the work will be completed after the elections. 

With the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation’s e-tendering process, we have sent a message to the industrial 
 

sector that we are developing an IMT in Khudana. It is located in prime destination of this hilly area at the cheapest rates. 

World College of Medical Science and Research in Girawad (Jhajjar) has been embroiled in several controversies. The students are accusing the government of not taking action against the college administration. When will this matter be resolved? 

This is a very serious matter, as the role of teacher is very important in society. After the elections, we will discuss the matter with the chief minister. The matter will be taken up on a priority basis.

Lack of teachers and facilities is one of the main causes of dissent among people across Haryana, as in the case of Gothda Tappa Dahina in Rewari, where girls have been saying that merely upgrading the school is not enough. The government should post an adequate number of teachers as well.

We recruited approximately 40,000 teachers in the past five years. There were 22,000 guest teachers in the state, who were continuously protesting and demanding permanent jobs, but the previous governments did not pay heed to their demand. After coming to power we regularised them. Very soon, we will provide all the facilities to every school in the state.

In 2014, the BJP said if it won the elections, each school in the state will have a yoga teacher. Five years on, the promise has remained unfulfilled. 

We have recruited many yoga teachers, but we didn’t find enough talented candidates. The recruitment will continue.

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