In the 19th meeting of Gujjar Kalyan Board held today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh stressed for the need for educating the children of Gujjar Community.
The Chief Minister said that he wants all the children, whether boys or girls, of the community to be well educated so that besides carrying on their traditional avocation they should pay heed to studies so as to get ample opportunities of employment and self-employment in today’s competitive world.
He directed the officers of the education department to open schools even in far flung areas and remote areas of the State irrespective of the strength of the children. He also announced opening of a Primary school in village Chadasa in Khundel Gram Panchayat of Mehla Block in district Chamba and up-gradation of Government Middle School Gopalpur in district Kangra to high school.
The Chief Minister also inquired about the functioning of Mobile Schools which were opened for the children of the Gaddi and Gujjar communities in the State.
He also announced to open Gujjar Hostel at Chamba.
The representatives of the Gujjar Community raised the problem of obtaining the Scheduled Tribe certificates from the revenue authorities and upon it the Chief Minister directed all the Deputy Commissioners present in the meeting that all the revenue officers working under them should be given clear guidelines in this direction.
Heeding to the demand of the community regarding the maintenance of their graveyards, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners to identify the land for graveyard or burial grounds as the present burial spaces were not proving enough for the purpose. He also directed to remove the boulders from the grave yards at Kudtha in Sahu in Chamba and sought the report of the action taken within a month.
Regarding opening of bank branch in Gram Panchayat Palhori in Paonta Sahib, the Chief Minister assured that the matter could be taken up in the bankers meeting for opening branch of any nationalized bank in the area and also the setting up of ATMs could be considered wherever necessary as per the location and strength of the Gujjar population in that region.
The Chief Minister also asked the forests officials to look into the matter of incursion of grazing lands by Gujjars from Jammu and Kashmir on the near Pong Dam in Kangra where the Himachali Gujjars have grazing permits so that the grazing rights of the community could be protected.
The Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioners to undertake all the minor works as construction of mule and Pucca paths, footbridges, boundary walls. ‘Khuls’, check-dams, crate walls, community halls, etc in Gujjar inhabited community programmes including MNREGA.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Dr. Col. Dhani Ram Shandil, Chief Secretary P. Mitra, Additional Chief Secretaries V.C.Pharka, Vineet Chaudhary, Upma Chaudhary, Tarun Shridhar. Narinder Chauhan, P.C. Dhiman, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, all Deputy Commissioners, all senior officers of the State Government were also present on the occasion amongst non official members of the Gujjar Kalyan Board.
