Shimla, Mar 11 (PTI) Sixteen per cent of the Himachal Pradesh Budget has been earmarked for education, Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur told the state Assembly on Friday.

Replying to a cut motion on education, Thakur said Rs 8,412 crore of the Rs 51,365-crore Budget for 2022-23 has been kept for education.

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The education minister said the previous Congress government had regularised only 7,519 contractual teachers, whereas the current BJP government regularised 22,693 contractual teachers.

Similarly, the previous Congress government had provided Rs 105 crore for the construction of buildings of education institutions, whereas the current government has provided Rs 143 crore so far, he said.

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Thakur appreciated the work of about 80,000 teachers for providing online education during the covid pandemic.

Earlier speaking on the cut motion, Congress MLA Asha Kumari, CPM legislator Rakesh Singha and others drew the attention of the education minister towards vacant posts of teachers in various education institutions in the state.

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