Pokhara, March 26:

King Gynendra today inaugurated the golden jubilee ceremony of the Amar Singh Model Higher Secondary School at Ramghat in Pokhara. Queen Komal was also present on the occasion.

Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, Minister for Education and Sports Radha Krishna Mainali, Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun, Rajprisad standing committee member Ganesh Bahadur Gurung and members of the school management committee received the royal couple at the programme.

Following the inauguration, the royal couple inspected various departments of the school and observed a musical programme presented by the students. On the occasion, the king gave away letters of appreciation to various personalities including the wife of the founder of the school Kanta Gurung, representative of land donors Chandra Kala Ghimire, former chairperson of the school management committee Dhan Bahadur Gurung, the wife of former headmaster Bhagawati Chhetri and Simon Wilson, the son of Richard Wilson who provided financial support for the construction of the department of blind.

The school was established with the initiative of late Major Bir Singh Gurung 1956. Mukhiya Devaraj Ghimire and his brother provided 207 ropanis of land for the construction of the school.

The school was renamed by the name of national hero Kaji Amar Singh Thapa after the central board of India handed over the school to Nepal government in 1966. Currently there are 2,137 students and 133 teachers in the school. The school ghas been [producing SLC graduates since 1960.

The school established the department of blind in 1982. Since then, blind students are also studying in the school. Sixty-seven blind students have passed SLC exam from the school so far.

The school has been listed among the 14 best schools by the Higher Secondary Education Board, said Bayan Bahadur Godar, headmaster of the school.

Meanwhile, the King granted separate collective audiences to the regional administrators and zonal administrators of the country at Ratna Mandir of Pokhara on Sunday.