The state government has revoked the earlier decision of merging Government Senior Secondary School for Girls on public demand and made it a co-educational institution affiliated with the HP Board of School Education, said Sunil Sharma Bittu, political adviser to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while addressing a public meeting after he was accorded a rousing welcome in Hamirpur on Wednesday. Bittu was apprised of the demand of the residents of the town not to close the girls school and keep it running as an institution affiliated with the HP Board of School Education.

A few months ago, the state government had merged the girls school with a boys school in the town and issued a notification that a science college would be run in the building of the girls school. The school formed after the merger was affiliated with the CBSE, leaving no government school in the town affiliated with the HP Board of School Education other than private schools.

Bittu had raised the matter during the recent visit of the Chief Minister, who assured local people that he would review the issue and their demand would be addressed on merit. The government issued a notification on Tuesday to this effect, fulfilling the public demand. All sections of society hailed the decision as the town now has two co-educational institutions affiliated with both HP Board of School Education and the CBSE.

Bittu said that the Chief Minister had honoured the demand of the local people, as he was concerned about the growth and development of the district. He added that development works of over Rs 1,000 core were in progress in the district.