Shimla: Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh honoured meritorious students at ‘Pratibha Samman Samaroh’, organized by the Amar Ujala group at hotel Peterhoff, here today.

The Chief Minister also congratulated the students for the feat they have achieved in academics and felicitated their parents. He said that the prosperity of any nation depends upon its strong value based education system which is the ‘Mantra’ of success and progress taking the country to new height of development.

Virbhadra Singh said that he was satisfied and elated to discover that children studying in Government schools in interiors of the State has enough talent and the education department was to see that they receive proper coaching and teaching in schools and if need arises, extra classes be taken, so that students may excel in their studies.

He also detailed out the initiatives of government for providing quality education to the children and a provision of Rs 4282 crore has been made for the same. CM said that the state government had upgraded and opened more than 650 schools in past 18 months along with as many as 15 degree colleges in the State.

Chief Minister also urged the Journalistic fraternity to highlight and project the development works of the government so that the people of far-flung areas may derive benefits from government schemes.

Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Sudhir Sharma, Housing and Urban Development Minister, Mayor MC Shimla Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Tikendar Panwar, Vice- Chancellor HP University, Prof. A.D.N. Bajpai, Chairman, Himachal Pradesh School Education Board Balbir Tegta, Advisor, Education Dinkar Burathoki and senior officers of the State Government were present on the occasion amongst other dignitaries.