Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 13 : Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur stated on Thursday that, despite facing adverse conditions and financial constraints, the state has delivered a strong performance, particularly in the field of education.
"The Himachal Pradesh government will complete three years in office on December 11. As you know, our government has worked in challenging circumstances over the last three years," Thakur said while speaking to ANI.
He recalled that when the Congress came to power in 2022, it inherited a debt of Rs 76,000 crore and pending liabilities worth Rs 10,000 crore towards employees' dearness allowance and pensioners.
"When we took over from the BJP government, the state had a debt of Rs 76,000 crore and liabilities of Rs 10,000 crore related to employees' DA and pensions. Stabilising the administration took about five to six months as by-elections had to be held again," Thakur explained.
The minister said that the Centre's financial cuts had further worsened the situation.
"Earlier, Himachal received Rs 1,600 crore as additional loan assistance, which was reduced after we implemented the Old Pension Scheme. The revenue deficit grant, which used to be Rs 10,000 crore under the previous government, has now been slashed to just Rs 3,000 crore. The Rs 3,000 crore GST compensation was also discontinued after 2022, and a similar cap was imposed on externally aided projects," Thakur noted.
He stated that the state experienced repeated natural disasters in 2023 and 2025, resulting in significant damage to life and property.
"According to central assessment teams, Himachal suffered losses worth Rs 10,000 crore in 2023 and nearly Rs 6,000 crore in 2025 due to natural calamities. Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands were displaced," he said.
Despite these setbacks, Thakur said the government has continued to fulfil its commitments, particularly in education, where significant progress has been made.
"In the field of education, the results have been remarkable. The central government has also appreciated our work. Himachal Pradesh, which ranked 21st during the BJP government in the National Education Ranking, has now reached fifth position. In the ASER report, we have moved from the bottom rank to number one in reading quality, surpassing even Kerala," he said proudly.
The minister said Himachal has now been declared a "fully literate state", and significant reforms have been undertaken in the education department, including large-scale recruitments and technological upgrades.
"We have started English as a subject from Class 1, introduced smart classrooms, launched school adoption programmes, and organised exposure tours. Around 7,000 new appointments have been made in the education department, and recruitment of trained graduate teachers (TGTs) is underway," Thakur said.
He added that the government has created employment opportunities across multiple departments, including police, revenue, forest, and Jal Shakti, as part of its broader job initiative.
Responding to criticism from the opposition BJP, the minister said the Congress government prefers to "focus on work rather than indulge in political mudslinging."
"The BJP engages in negative politics. We don't expect them to appreciate our efforts, but our focus is on fulfilling the commitments made to the people," Thakur said.
He added that most of the promises made to the public have been implemented in a phased manner over the past two years and that more will follow.
Addressing concerns about the postponement of Panchayati Raj and municipal elections, Thakur clarified that the decision was made solely due to the natural disasters that struck the state in 2025.
"We are not running away from elections. Everyone knows the scale of the natural calamities in 2025. If elections are delayed by two or three months, it's not a big issue. Even in Uttarakhand, local body elections were held later due to similar reasons," Thakur said.
He added that the elections will be held as soon as the weather clears and restoration work is completed.
"Once the weather improves and restoration in affected areas is normalised, elections will be conducted. Some regions face heavy snowfall, so a short delay of two to three months is only practical," he said.