New School Building Opens in Deori After 2023 Floods
Inauguration of the Reconstructed School
After the catastrophic floods of 2023, which destroyed the Government Senior Secondary School in Deori, Mandi district, students have finally returned to a newly built facility. The reconstruction was completed three years after the original structure was lost.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu participated in the inauguration ceremony via a virtual connection from Shimla, celebrating the start of classes in the new building.
The new senior secondary school was constructed at a cost of approximately ₹3.62 crore, while a new primary school building was also established for around ₹70 lakh.
The previous school building was completely obliterated on August 14, 2023, due to severe rainfall and the resulting destruction that impacted many areas of Himachal Pradesh.
During the event, the Chief Minister expressed his congratulations to the students and acknowledged the local community's efforts in the school's reconstruction. He specifically thanked residents Chinta Devi, Dasi Devi, and Punni Devi for their generous donation of over one bigha of land to facilitate the school's rebuilding.
Sukhu emphasized that the state government is committed to reconstructing schools affected by natural disasters with modern facilities and is implementing reforms in the education sector to enhance educational quality.
He noted that Himachal Pradesh has improved its educational ranking from 21st in 2021 to fifth place due to the initiatives taken by the current administration.
Additionally, the Chief Minister announced a grant of ₹1 lakh to support cultural activities at the school.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary and MP, sent a message to the students, which was read by the Chief Minister’s political advisor, Sunil Sharma Bittu, as she was unable to attend due to inclement weather.
In her message, Priyanka reflected on her visit to Deori in September 2023, where she witnessed the aftermath of the disaster. She commended the community's dedication over the past three years to rebuild the school.
She conveyed her best wishes to the students and expressed her intention to visit them in September.
Priyanka encouraged the students to embrace the values of the Constitution, including equality, love, unity, and brotherhood, and emphasized that their journey of skill and talent development begins at school.
The reconstruction of the school holds special importance for Deori, as the previous building was significantly impacted by the 2023 disaster. The completion of the new structure has reinstated regular classroom facilities for the students.
Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar and Director of School Education Ashish Kohli attended the program from Shimla. Local dignitaries, including HPMC board member Joginder Guleria, Block Congress Committee president Devender Thakur, Deputy Commissioner Apurva Devgan, Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar, and other officials were present at the Deori site.
The most significant outcome for Deori, after three years of disruption, is not merely the ceremony but the return of students to a stable school environment, marking the conclusion of a lengthy reconstruction journey initiated by the 2023 disaster.