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Pong abuzz with migratory birds
State scores high in fight against AIDS |
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Policy for evaluating teachers’ performance flawed
Consumers protest erratic LPG supply in Kangra
Tunnel to link Chamba, Chowari advocated
vignettes by Shriniwas Joshi
Award for bravery
Himachal diary
Teachers threaten to gherao Assembly
Literary critics applaud Murari’s ‘Baanmooth’
6 get Himotkarsh Kangra Shri Award
Ex-Bedians relive student days at reunion
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Pong abuzz with migratory birds
Kangra, December 15 The number of these birds this year is likely to touch more than 1.5 lakh, highest of the last four years, they said.Last year, 1.48 lakh migratory birds came to the Pong Dam reservoir while in 2007, their figure was at 1.42 lakh and in 2004, the number of winged guests from Sibaria and Central Asian countries was 1.30 lakh. More than 30,000 birds have landed at different places of the reservoir till date.Wildlife sources said the most common bird species that often visit this lake include ruddy shell ducks (surkhab), bar-headed geese, mallards, coots, pochards and pintails, besides rare red-necked grebe and gulls. These species come from as far as Afghanistan, Mongolia, China, Siberia, Central Asia, Russia, Pakistan and Ladakh.Swamps in the area between the Barrage and the Shah Nehar downstream make a majority of the birds to stay here for the entire season. Built in 1960, the Pong Dam reservoir is the only place in the country, after the Bharatpur Sanctuary, where the red-necked grebe descends every year. Similarly, although a seashore species, the arrival of gulls here marks an exception.Wildlife experts said last year, some birds, which included coots, cormorants and spot bill ducks, had adapted to the nature and had stayed back at the Pond Dam and some birds who were not fit for long flights too had stayed at this lake.The experts say there is an ample scope of improvement in protecting these winged visitors from poachers who indulge in killing them. The state government should pay more attention to exploit the tourism potential of this lake, they add.
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State scores high in fight against AIDS
Shimla, December 15 The high literacy rate the state has achieved despite geographical constraints has helped in the launch of an effective information and education campaign leading to high awareness levels.The feat of bringing down HIV positivity was appreciated greatly by a World Bank team which attributed it to factors like political will, high literacy levels and, of course, effective awareness campaigns. To ensure that there is no further transmission of the disease from the parent to the child, the thrust has been on ensuring that expectant mothers undergo the AIDS test. "During the past one year over 27,000 mothers underwent the AIDS test to ensure that the infection is not passed on to the newborn," says Dr Sulakshan Puri, Project Director of the State AIDS Control Society. She explains that the only succour for those who have already contracted the infection can be a breakthrough in finding a cure for the disease but till then all efforts are aimed at ensuring that no new name is added to the list of those already living with AIDS or HIV.Still rated as a low prevalence state by the National AIDS Control Society (NACO,)it has 0.03 per cent positivity. Himachal at present has 735 AIDS and 4013 HIV positive persons. There have till date been 124 deaths due to AIDS. More than 700 patients who have a very low CD count are being provided free anti-retro viral drugs at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and the Hamirpur Zonal Hospital. The free treatment of the disease will soon be started at Dr Rajendra Prashad Medical College and Hospital at Tanda in Kangra. There are a total of 44 counselling and testing centres all over the state. Besides this there are two drop-in centres functioning at Barmana and Poanta Sahib. Various NGOs too have done a commendable work in waging a successful war against AIDS. "The credit for Himachal achieving very satisfactory results in the fight against AIDS is mainly due to high awareness levels and commitment and, above all, the absence of social stigma which helps the patients at least live without condemnation as is seen in many other states," says a health activist.
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Policy for evaluating teachers’ performance flawed
Shimla, December 15 Transfers of teaching staff, mostly on the recommendations of politicians, is a round the year affair and as such a large number of teachers will escape evaluation on account of a short stay. It will not be surprising if non-performing teachers start using their political links to manage transfers before completing the minimum period.The government will have to put in place a system to ensure that transfers and promotions of teachers are effected only at the beginning of the academic year and in a planned manner as is being done by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan. It will be appropriate to frame a separate policy based on ground realities and with a provision to reward the good teachers. More so because the policy links annual confidential reports (ACRs) to performance and also provides for punitive action against non-performing teachers.The policy lays down that if the result is below 25 per cent, the teacher concerned will be issued a warning at the first instance and if there was no improvement in the subsequent year, the annual increment could be withheld. Further, they will also be linked to results. A teacher concerned will be entitled to an “outstanding” ACR if the result exceeds 75 per cent and “very good” for result ranging from those 65 per cent to 75 per cent. The policy has no provision like allowing a longer stay or choice posting to reward the good teachers. However, Srikant Baldi, principal secretary, said the government would consider such a proposal to make the policy an effective tool for improving standards.The schools will be rated on the basis of performance with those with result exceeding 80 per cent will be placed in grade (A), 60 per cent to 80 per cent (B), 40 per cent to 60 per cent (C), and up to 40 per cent grade (D). The names of 100 best schools will be publicised while the principals of schools with results below 25 per cent will be asked to explain the reasons for which a combined meeting will be convened. It is common knowledge that the successive governments in the state have come out with one scheme to pave way for back-door appointments in the name of voluntary teachers, vidya upasak, PTA teachers and other nomenclatures. Such teachers will not be able to deliver and the government must ensure that recruitment is made purely on the basis of merit. The government will have to take stern measures to check copying in examinations as negligent teachers may encourage students to indulge mass copying to give good results. The successive governments in the state have been ignoring merit and carrying out back-door entries in schools over a period of time. As per the data collected by The Tribune, the successive state governments have created eight categories of teachers for making back-door entries into schools. The famous category of the said kind is PTA teachers recruited by the previous Congress government. The previous Congress government recruited about 14,000 teachers through the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) of the schools amidst the allegations of favouritism from the BJP that was then in the Opposition. Most PTA teachers were recruited in violation of the procedure laid down for recruiting schoolteachers through the Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Services Recruitment Board. The present government ousted many PTA teachers after coming to power. Now these PTA teachers are holding rallies throughout the state, demanding the regularisation of their services. The other categories through which teachers were recruited in violation of laid down procedure includes voluntary teachers, vidhya upasaks, contract teachers, ad hoc teachers, stopgap teachers, primary assistant teachers (PAT) and tenure teachers. Thousands of teachers were recruited in government schools under the said categories by the successive governments in the state. In case of contract, stopgap and tenure teachers, school principals were given the power to recruit candidates. Many of the teachers recruited through the said categories did not fulfil even the basic criteria laid down for schoolteachers in government schools. The teachers were slowly absorbed in government schools after about eight years of service. The sources here said the system of back-door entries establishing various categories in the teaching fraternity has led to the exploitation of educated youths . They are initially paid petty sums and are made to work at salaries lower than the minimum prescribed wages for years before being absorbed permanently in government jobs.
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Consumers protest erratic LPG supply in Kangra
Kangra, December 15 The protesters told The Tribune that there were 14200 Hindustan Petroleum consumers in this town of which 7500 had been awaiting gas refills for the past one month.The protesters claimed that there had been no LPG supply in Jogipur, Lalerd, Rajiana, Tanda, Sadarpur, Kholi, Old Kangra ward Nos 1, 2 and 3 for the past more than three weeks. Residents of College road and Donga Bazar localities have been without LPG supply for the past over 15 days. A protester carrying an empty gas cylinder said he was yet to get a refill booked on November 10 Mr. Baghwan Dass, owner of Jayanti Gas Agency, blamed the gas shortage on irregular delivery of filled gas cylinders from the Hoshiarpur gas distribution plant. Abinav Sethi, Area Officer of Hindustan Petroleum at Chandigarh, said a transport problem had led to the crisis. He said Hindustan Petroleum had decided to supply gas to this region of the state from Mehatpur, near Una, within a week after the signing of an agreement between HP and Indian Oil. The supply of gas cylinders from Mehatpur with increased frequency of transportation would help redress the problems of consumers and distributors.
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Tunnel to link Chamba, Chowari advocated
Chamba, December 15 The only lifeline of the district is Chamba-Pathankot road which links it with the outer world. Around 30 km portion of this road from Chamba to Goli is still single lane and narrow. The people have been requesting the government to make this portion of the road as double lane but to no avail as this stretch falls in a wildlife sanctuary in which no activity can be taken up.The only solution to the problem is to shorten the distance by constructing a tunnel between Chamba and Chowari. The tunnel will help shorten the distance between both these stations from 54 km to just 5 km, thereby saving two hours of travel time This tunnel can be constructed on a BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis and the construction cost can be realised through a tollThe government has formulated 'preliminary project reports' with regard to building eight traffic tunnels on major roads, including the Shimla-Kalka, Jogindernagar-Kullu and the Uttarala-Holi roads, besides a tunnel each below the Saach and Rohtang passes.If a tunnel is made between Chamba and Chowari it will serve the whole of Chamba district benefiting a population of about five lakh. Pleading for a tunnel between Chamba and Chowari in a recent representation to Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal, Chamba District Progressive Council president Hari Ram Puri mentioned that the state was earning 12 per cent royalty from the power generated by three major hydropower stations owned by the NHPC in Chamba district. This royalty amounts to more than Rs 150 crore annually and a part of this amount can be utilised for the construction of a traffic tunnel and widening of the road to bring the remote Chamba district closer to the outer world.
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vignettes
by Shriniwas Joshi
The Himachal Pradesh Government is good in playing with the spellings of old buildings. While it dropped one "f" from Peterhoff and named it Peterhof, it added an "s" to Fairlawn to call it Fairlawns. The building Fairlawn, by the side of the Dhali-Mashobra road, was probably built during the period Horace B. Goad, Secretary of the Municipal Committee known as "the prince of managers and the terror of all evil doers", built his house "Hermitage",later "Maisonette", close by. It could be around the 1880s as Goad was appointed Secretary in 1877. It cannot be said with authority that Fairlawn was constructed by R.Dixon,an officer in the Foreign Office, because the property then in Shimla used to change hands quickly.
It, however, is a fact confirmed by Edward Buck in "Simla-Past and Present" that Dixon owned the building and lived here for many years developing the fine grass terraces that give beauty to the place and justify the name Fairlawn. Buck further writes: "Sir George White and his family occupied "Fairlawn" for several months, and the then Commander-in-Chief, who was a wonderful walker, started on several of his pedestrian feats from this
residence.
" Buck faltered here because Sir George Stuart White, the C-in-C, from 1893 to 1898, lived at Snowdon (the present IGMC) but used to temporarily stay at Kenilworth in Mashobra and not at Fairlawn. But, as Buck says, Sir George was a great walker and he writes himself: "I ought perhaps to consider myself lucky that I have the great pleasure to thoroughly enjoy long rambles and steep climbs about these grand and beautiful hills. These walks are really my greatest pleasure and relief from work, and I indulge in them to such a degree that I have reduced my weight from 13 stone 10 pounds. (One stone = 14 pounds), which I was at Calcutta, to 12 stone 3 pounds. I generally take these rambles alone, with my thoughts as my companions and the hills as my friends." The next proprietor of the building was Cowell, who was residing there in 1904 when Buck had published his magnum-opus on Shimla. Messers Cowell were photographers of repute and had done portraits, including that of Governor-General Lord Lansdowne. Nawab Muzzafar Ali Khan Quizzalbash of Malerkotla later purchased it, which remained his property till he left for Pakistan in 1947. He was not one among the ruling line of Malerkotla but belonged to the royalty. May it be told that Malerkotla, a Muslim state, founded in 1600, ruled by Sherwanis of Turk origin, a part of Sangrur district of Punjab today, is credited with the historical fact that it did not witness even a single incident of violence when Punjab was burning during the 1947 riots. Fairlawn, after 1947, was the property of the Punjab Government and its circuit house. After the reorganisation of the states in 1966, the property was transferred to the Himachal Pradesh Government that started the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration, known in short as HIPA, at Fairlawns on January 1, 1974. The State Institute of Rural Development was added to it in 1985. Important training centres like that of natural disaster management; information technology and subordinate accounts services are attached to it. The stated vision of the institute is: "We seek to promote good governance by providing quality training and learning related to performance with a view to building a professional civil service that is efficient, accountable and responsive." The people read it and whisper 'Amen'.
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Award for bravery
Bilaspur, December 15 The youths said they had no grievance regarding award to home guard Kamal Chauhan as he also joined them in saving three persons on July 21, 2001. Recounting the incident, they said, “Hundreds of people were watching helplessly hearing cries of the victims, namely Baldev Singh, a driver; Omparkash, a conductor; and Joginder Singh, a sales manager. All were riding a tempo from Punjab and were suddenly overtaken by a flashflood while crossing the rivulet, Saryaali, near Talai”. “We had not saved these people for any honour or prize, but were goaded to jump into the rivulet, which otherwise looked like a suicide mission. We considered it to be our duty since we all knew swimming”. They said it was condemnable that when time came to recognise their feat, they were ignored, although at the time of the incident, the district authorities were all praise for them and had promised to honour them all as all of them had done equally well in saving the human lives.
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Himachal diary The historic Paddal Maidan in Mandi presented a feast for hockey freaks. Top eight teams participated in the 6th Independence Hockey Gold Cup, a national-level tournament. The BSF finally won the championship (See Picture), defeating the EME, Jalandhar , 3-2, amidst a row over a foul.The four-day tournament saw the hockey at its best in which the local Himachal-11, though routed in the very beginning, managed to win the best fair-play trophy. In the final encounter the BSF led in the first half, scoring two goals, giving the EME a tough time. The first goal was scored by Mandip Saini and the second by S Kajur. But the EME fought back in the second half with Avatar Singh scoring the first goal. However, the BSF regained the lead when Peter Tikry scored the third goal. Then the EME tried hard to stage a comeback and Suleman even scored the second goal for the team but a determined BSF held its ground to win the title. There were some unsavoury moments when the play was disrupted for two minutes as the EME raised an objection over the foul. Earlier, the BSF defeated the CISF while the EME outplayed the RCF,Kapurthala, in the semi-finals. Organising secretary Suresh Thakur said the BSF and the RCF were the top scorers in pool A while the RCF and the EME scored the highest points in pool B. Deserted look
The state secretariat wore a deserted look as the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues, senior officers along with their supporting staff left for Dharamasla for an eight-day winter session, the longest-ever till date. Empty corridors greet visitors at both Ellerslie and Armsdale, the two buildings housing the seat of the government. In the absence of ministers and officers there are hardly any visitors. As the year is coming to a close the lower-rung officers and the babus are also having a comfortable time as there is not much work. Being the end of the year normally it is time for exhausting casual leave. However, with the Vidhan Sabha in session leave is not granted as every department has to be on its toes for supplying information pertaining to any matter raised in the House. Employees and officers resent having to stay put in offices for a rather longish period.
Water schemes await power
The lack of proper planning and coordination among various government departments has led to a situation where more than 100 newly constructed water supply and irrigation schemes could not be made functional. The irrigation and public health department has not been able to secure the power connections for as many as 109 of the 126 new schemes. The matter continues to hang on despite several meetings between officers of the state electricity board and the department. It is a sad commentary on the functioning of the departments as almost half of these are water supply schemes, a top priority for the government. The department deposits the requisite money for getting the power connections after which the board makes a plan and creates the required infrastructure. However, there is no coordination as evident from the fact that such a large number of schemes are awaiting commissioning due to lack of power. Moreover, the board is not known for efficiency. (Contributed by
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Teachers threaten to gherao Assembly
Kangra, December 15 Lakhvir Singh, president, Kangra District Primary Assistant Teachers Association, and Swroop Bhatia, block president, said the Himachal Pradesh High Court had directed the state government on September 1 last year that contractual teachers should be treated on a par with ad hoc appointees for the purpose payment of salary for the vacation period. The government had accepted to appoint gramin vidya upasaks and primary assistant teachers on a contract basis. They said GVUs were appointed in 2002 during the BJP rule and PATs were appointed in 2003 by the Congress government and GVUs were merged with PATs in 2006 by the Virbhdra Singh government. They alleged that the present BJP government de-merged 1,352 GVUs from PATs on February 13, 2009, and gave GVUs all benefits on a par with contractual JBT teachers. The leaders said when GVUs and PATs were having same status, why the government was using different yard sticks for the payment of salary. They alleged that PATs were being victimised because they were appointed during the Congress rule and GUVs were getting the benefits as they were appointed by the BJP. The duo described this attitude of the government as unfortunate forcing PATs to come on the streets.
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Literary critics applaud Murari’s ‘Baanmooth’
Mandi, December 15 Murari was brought up in a non-descript village in the fertile Balh valley in Mandi district. Most part of his life was spent with his maternal grandmother whom he saw as a big moral and spiritual support. Murari observed the society around him steeped in poverty, superstitions, ignorance, sacrifices and curses and he turned these factors into fertile raw material that shaped up his sensibility. That is how his literary stories evolve as he tries to come out into a new world despising the old antiquated system of values. Critics rated Murari’s story as a unique portrayal of pahari society steeped in local superstitions, sacrifices and magic and traditions and how the narrator liberates himself and becomes a part of the mainstream society. Hindi critic Rajinder Yadav observed, “Murari has presented a new world in the story which does not end in the distant past as has been practice among many Hindi story writers. Baanmooth is a society in which the protagonist comes out from the influence of the devta and becomes a part of the larger world”. Baanmooth is a common story of hill people how two families became sworn enemies following a land dispute. They cursed them using the magic influence of Baanmooth, then followed a series of animal sacrifices. Even in the distant past, human sacrifice was prevalent to appease the devta, the pressing lord in the village. But in the end, good sense prevails. The character shuns the blood bath and releases the futility of magic and sacrifices and prefers to live a life of rationality. Murari, a correspondent with Hindi daily Amar Ujjala in Mandi, has penned a book on Banthara, a folk theatre of Mandi. He has written several short stories published in prestigious journals and magazines. The market forces are shaping the literary world, which is sad, he rues. He says life in Himachal is fast changing. Government’s policy on hydel projects has displaced people and pains of displacements are unrelenting. The government is taking carbon credits for polluting industries and ruining the environment. He says the award is a rare honour for him and it will give him strength to write more and better literature.
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6 get Himotkarsh Kangra Shri Award
Nurpur, December 15 Local MLA Rakesh Pathania, who presided over the function, gave away cash prizes to 84 brilliant students and distributed hearing aids among poor patient. Kanwar Hari Singh, president of the parishad, briefed the audience about the activities being undertaken by the parishad for the past 35 years in the fields of education, health without government support. Meanwhile, the local unit of the parishad has identified 30 poor patients of the area who would under free cataract operations at the Tagore Heart Care and Research Centre, Jalandhar, this month in two phases. According to Rajiv Pathania, secretary of the local unit, the parishad will bear all expenses of the patients, including transportation. Earlier, the local parishad unit had organised a free medical camp at Bharmar on November 22 in which 450 patients were examined and treated free of cost. Besides, the local unit has been running two mobile schools to impart free education to kids of migrant labourers in the Nurpur and Gangath assembly constituencies.
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Ex-Bedians relive student days at reunion
Shimla, December 15 "Coming back to a place which has groomed you to take on the challenges of life is always very pleasurable and a joy," remarked most of them. The former students not only tried to make the most of it by catching up with old teachers, friends and mates but also resolved to make the reunion a regular feature. "It has been decided that ex-Bedian reunion would be held on the fourth Saturday of June every year to keep in touch with each other," said Neelkamal Bedi, chief coordinator of the Ex-Bedian Association. To ensure that the reunion is a lively and regular feature every ex-Bedian looks forward to, coordinators have been appointed for various cities for better networking. The only college in Himachal to have been accorded "A" grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), St Bede's has come a long way in its 115-year-old existence. "The college aims at imparting higher education and training to young women to enable them to fulfil their obligation at home, work or in society at large with grace, aplomb and, above all, high moral standards," says Principal Molly Abraham. The college started by the Religious of Jesus and Mary in 1904 with a strength of a mere 15 has over 1,300 students today. Besides offering undergraduate courses in the arts, medical, and non-medical streams, subjects like microbiology, biotechnology, BBA, BCA and PGDCA are also being offered. Besides this there are the add-on courses, including fashion designing, travel and tourism and communicative English. Having stepped out of the portals of this college, which came into existence when educating girls was considered a taboo, the students have excelled in every field and carved a niche for themselves. "Be it politics, civil services, teaching, business, medicine, acting or any other field you have Ex-Bedians holding the college name high," said Dr Molly. True to the spirit of service and the college motto "Non Nobis Solum" meaning not for our self alone, the Ex-Bedian Association has decided to take up certain social causes. Besides adopting a village, other activities that would be undertaken include thrust on water conservation, heritage conservation and caring for the special children. The issue of restoration of 95 per cent grant-in-aid by the government is another issue for which Ex-Bedians would strive for. "Though the grant has been restored partially by the state government, the college will be plunged into a financial crisis untill status quo-ante is maintained," opines Mala Kuthiala. With Dr Molly being the chairperson of the association and retired IAS officer Parminder Mathur being its president, the ex-Bedians want to contribute to society in their own special way under the banner of their alma mater, to which they owe whatever they have achieved in life.
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Shimla, December 15
Kangra, December 15 
The Himachal Pradesh Government is good in playing with the spellings of old buildings. While it dropped one "f" from Peterhoff and named it Peterhof, it added an "s" to Fairlawn to call it
Fairlawns.The building Fairlawn, by the side of the Dhali-Mashobra road, was probably built during the period Horace B. Goad, Secretary of the Municipal Committee known as "the prince of managers and the terror of all evil doers", built his house
"Hermitage",later "Maisonette", close by. 
The local branch of the Himotkarsh Sahitya Sanskriti and Jankalyan Parishad organized its sixth annual function
here recently.Anil Soni a senior journalist and editor of a vernacular newspaper, who was chief guest, honoured six persons for their meritorious services in various fields.
