Education Minister Rohit Thakur today attended the Swargiya Rai Singh Ranta Memorial Second Panchayat-Level Volleyball Tournament organized by the Nav Yuvak Mandal Malog at Malog (Nandpur) as the chief guest. Around 40 teams are participating in the tournament.
Addressing the players, the Minister said that sports activities play a vital role in instilling discipline, teamwork, and leadership qualities among youth and contribute significantly to building a healthy and strong society.
He added that sports are an effective medium to keep young people away from social evils like drug abuse. By actively involving youth in sports, they can be guided towards a positive direction. He urged the youth to stay away from drugs and actively participate in sports, education, and other constructive activities, contributing to a drug-free society.
32 Posts Approved for Sports School in Jubbal
The Education Minister said the state government is continuously working to develop sports infrastructure and provide better opportunities to youth. He highlighted the establishment of the Thakur Ram Lal Government Girls Sports School in Jubbal, which now includes volleyball and seven other sports disciplines.
He informed that 32 posts have been approved for the sports school in the recent cabinet meeting. He also noted that there are 11 sports hostels in the state, with Jubbal being the largest. He said increased focus on sports is helping girls from the state achieve recognition at national and international levels.
₹30 Crore Approved for KV Kotkhai
Rohit Thakur said that a Kendriya Vidyalaya has been approved for Kotkhai, which will provide quality education to students in rural areas. He added that ₹30 crore has been sanctioned for its construction.
He further said that a two-year B.P.Ed. course has been approved to be started at Saraswati Nagar, and the proposal has been sent to NCTE after completing formalities. School infrastructure across the constituency is also being strengthened.
176 Roads Approved in Constituency
The Minister said that around 176 roads have been approved in the constituency during the current government’s three-and-a-half-year tenure, including five roads in Nandpur Panchayat. He contrasted this with only five roads sanctioned during the previous five-year tenure.
He noted that Nandpur Panchayat plays an important role in apple production, making road connectivity crucial. He added that efforts are being made to improve road infrastructure across the region.
He also said that the Malog-Panesari road has been included under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and is expected to be approved soon. The Barthatta-Garhawag road has received ₹5.66 crore approval and its tender has already been awarded. Following heavy rains in 2023 and 2025, repair works worth ₹7.26 crore are underway in Nandpur Panchayat.
₹3 Lakh for Gym Construction Announced
The Education Minister appreciated the efforts of youth clubs in promoting sports activities and announced ₹3 lakh for gym construction and ₹50,000 for organizing sports competitions for Nav Yuvak Mandal Malog.
Closing Ceremony of Volleyball Tournament in Tikkri
Later, the Minister attended the prize distribution ceremony of the Aman Memorial Volleyball Tournament organized by Nav Yuvak Mandal Tikkri at Pujaali No. 4.
He felicitated winning and runner-up teams and said that nearly ₹100 crore worth of development works are underway in Tikkri tehsil under the Public Works Department.
He detailed major ongoing works including ₹22 crore for buildings, ₹24 crore under NABARD, ₹49 crore under PMGSY-4, and ₹5 crore under annual maintenance schemes.
He also said that around ₹80 crore is being spent specifically on road development in the constituency. The Koti-Jagteerli road under PMGSY involves ₹11.66 crore for a 10 km stretch, while the Mehndli–CAO Kanchi road is about 75% complete with ₹11.30 crore investment. The Minister further said that the construction of Government Senior Secondary School building at Pujaali-4 is being completed at a cost of ₹4.91 crore and inspected the ongoing work. He also announced ₹50,000 for Nav Yuvak Mandal Tikkri and honored meritorious students during the event.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
