Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh launched ‘PEHAL’ – a vision document of the Shimla District administration for raising education standards. During the launch of the programme which took place at the historic Ridge Maidan, Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur said that the aim of the programme is to identify certain thrust areas which have a direct bearing on the lives of the people at grassroots.

The five areas identified under PEHAL are Primary Education, Forest Rights, Health and Sanitation, Campaign against drugs and skill development and Women Empowerment. The district authorities have already begun works on all these areas with a distinct strategy. The programme is also an attempt to integrate the various stakeholders in the development story of the district.

Under Pehal, empowering the people with requisite skills under the livelihood mission will include basic masonry, electrical work, home appliances reparing and plumber courses.