In 60 minutes Himachal govt reverses order on banning school annual functions

Shimla: It barely took an hour, to roll back a key decision relating to the ban on holding annual functions in the government schools in Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu –who says he was for systematic change in governance –’Vyavastha Parivartan’, an order to ban the holding of annual functions in the schools was withdrawn within an hour’s time.

Director of Higher Education Dr Amarjeet Sharma, earlier in the day had issued the instructions directing all deputy directors (edu) to ensure that no annual functions are held in the schools.

“Actually, the board examinations are approaching and many school managements engage the students in preparations for the events relating to annual functions. The students as such don’t get proper time to prepare for the examinations,” said a senior official explaining the spirit of the decision.

He said the government will issue fresh orders in this regard as a matter of policy from the next academic session.

The school officials claim that sometimes a lot of controversies also crop up about chief guests being invited to such functions as normally local politics also overshadows the hosting of the guests. The events also involve expenditures.

In order no EDN-H (21) B (15) 15/2021-V dated 23.02.2023, Director Amarjeet Sharma said, “in the context of sub–Regarding not to celebrate annual functions in the schools, it is intimated that the above-referred letter is hereby withdrawn till further orders”.

The order about the withdrawal of the letter went viral immediately on social media.

Already, some of the government decisions have earned the ire of the opposition.

The BJP says that the Chief Minister instead of reforms, has instead chosen to disrupt the functioning of the institutions of governance and service deliveries.

“More than 600 institutions opened by the BJP government have been closed down. This is a clear attempt to deprive the people of the services they had been getting closer to their homes. Several institutions were opened on public demand,” says Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

The BJP, he says, has already started a signature campaign against the closure of these institutions. Now, even the congress MLAs and MP (from Mandi) have been asking the Chief Minister to notify all these institutions of political vendetta.

Thakur has also come down heavily against the decision to dissolve Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (HPSSC)—a job body set up by the earlier BJP government headed by Prem Kumar Dhumal to ensure transparency in the employment to government jobs.