Excelsior Correspondent
![Chairman of St Mary’s Educational Trust, Dr Pardeep Sharma presenting memento to Ex-Minister and MLC Jugal Kishore Sharma in a function at Pouni in Reasi on Sunday.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/page3-2.jpg)
REASI, Dec 1: St Mary’s Educational Trust, in an impressive function held today opened its new Convent school at Pouni town of Reasi district.
Former R&B Minister and Congress legislator, Jugal Kishore Sharma (MLC) was the chief guest on the occasion while Dr Pardeep Sharma (Retd IAF official), Chairman of the Trust presided over. Nearly 200 parents of the school children, locals of the area witnessed the occasion. The Trust has taken over the school being run by the Green Valley Institute at Pouni. It will now function under the name and style of St Mary’s Convent School.
While speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the Trust Dr Sharma said that during his service all over the country, he has found that children of the rural and semi-urban areas have been deprived of the quality education. He said it is his passion to work for the upliftment of the educational standards in the rural areas and serve the poor and deprived children of his own State in better way.
Dr Pardeep claimed that Trust is going to open new Convent schools at Akhnoor, Railway Road Kathua and at Phinter in Billawar this year. Three more branches will be added next year in the rural areas. Most of the highly qualified teaching staff will be employed from South India (Kerala), he maintained.
MLC Jugal Kishore in his address appreciated the resolve of the Chairman and his Trust members besides Director and Principal of the School. He hoped that this new St Mary’s School will provide better education to the children of this backward and rural area of Pouni. He said Chairman Dr Pardeep being local from Nowshera area of Rajouri, will put his best efforts in raising educational standards, providing better staff and also accord some concession to very poor students of the area in attaining education. He assured his full help and cooperation in opening another such school in his Reasi constituency and other places as well to the Trust.