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Youth gravitate towards BPO companies
Police to stick to khaki
Skiing competition attracts foreigners
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vignettes
Shanta: Conduct all elections once in 5 years
Transparency in governance top priority: CM
NGO honours ex-servicemen
Land for NDRF Battalion
Himachal diary
Scribes real sentinels of society: CM
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Youth gravitate towards BPO companies
Dharamsala, February 7 The students from Himachal are hot picks for the Business Processing and Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Chandigarh and Delhi. The young graduates and even under graduates are getting placed in call centres of multinational companies. Swahi Verma, an arts graduate from Dharamsala government college, belongs to Sidhpur village. Persuaded by consultants, she ventured out and is working with Convergys company. She is now getting Rs 15,000 per month as starting salary. Yagesh Sharma, a resident of Sunhi village in Baroh tehsil of Kangra, completed postgraduation in science from Himachal Pradesh University. Teaching in a government college or school was the only job he could get in the state. However, he chose to work in a BPO. Today he is working with IBM call centre in Chandigarh and getting a salary of Rs 8,000. Harvinder Singh, a resident of Kaswa Nirwana village near Yol cantonment, completed his BSc from the local college. Unlike most of his friends who were either opting for BEd or MSc, he opted for a job in private sector. He is now serving in Convergys company call centre at Delhi. Gaurav Sharma, a resident of Nurpur, had just completed 10+2. Earlier he could not avail any good job opportunity with his qualification in the state. However, now he has been placed in a domestic call centre of Vodaphone and is earning an income of about Rs 8000 per month. Parveen Kumar, a resident of Speda village in Shahpur tehsil of Kangra district, is also a graduate. He has now been placed in a domestic BPO and is getting Rs 7,200 per month. The local entrepreneurs who are linked to this business say that in the past two years, they have placed about 700 students from across the state in BPO companies. They said that the beginning was not easy in Himachal. The people and students were apprehensive about working in BPO companies. Initially, whenever a student was called for interview, especially girls, the entire family used to come along. They also brought along cutting of newspaper regarding mishaps with some worker of a call centre in any part of the country. It took a lot of persuasion on the part of hiring agencies to ensure the parents that their child would be safe working in a BPO company. The inclination of students to join government jobs was another bottleneck. The students here preferred a government job at Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 15,000 per month job in a BPO. However, as the students from the state started getting placed in private companies, it triggered a chain reaction and now students have started coming forward. The people involved in BPO hiring, however, rue the government apathy. They alleged that with a little government support, the number of students finding jobs in private companies can increase manifold. The students from Himachal have shortcoming in communication skills in English language. A little training during graduation can help them improve their skills. Areas of Himachal that have ideal temperature conditions can prove as hot spots for BPO companies. The BPO and software companies can set their centres in Kangra district if the government provides them the basic infrastructure. The software and call centre industries have potential of providing employments to thousands of unemployed youth. However, it is an irony that the state government has not come up with strategy to attract the industry.
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Police to stick to khaki
Shimla February 7 The controversy, which started with a proposal to change the colour of the attire in 2005, was settled with the State Police Board recently deciding to stick to the khaki uniform, synonymous with the police. Though in some of the battalions and districts the police personnel had started wearing the new blue uniform, not willingly as right from day one they had openly aired their disliking for the blue. Though no reason has been ascribed to the sudden change in stance, the vehement opposition by the police personnel, whose number is almost 14,000, is being attributed as the main deciding force against the move. The representatives of various police personnel associations not only met the Chief Minister with their grouse, but also moved court over the issue. “The fact that the Centre did not accede to the state’s demand for allowing change in the uniform of the Indian Police Service (IPS) could also be one of the main reason as this would have left the force divided in two colours,” said a senior officer. However, it is still not clear what will be done with tenders already placed for blue uniforms almost two months ago. The unstitched cloth could be used for traffic police, who, otherwise also wear blue, but there could be complete waste in case of other police personnel who have been provided blue uniform in various parts of the state. The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police had on different occasions taken up the matter with the Union Home Secretary to seek permission in change of uniform of IPS officers. However, citing the Central Police Uniform Rules, the Centre not only turned down the state’s plea but also advised them to stick to khaki, which was identified with the police force. The decision to change uniform of all Himachal Police Service (HPS) officers and all ranks below DSP level had been taken already. Majority of the IPS officers, too, had been quite opposed to the idea of change of uniform as their counterparts in all the other states are still wearing the khaki. The uniform change move may cause some amount of loss to the state exchequer but one thing if certain that it has brought relief not just to the officers below the rank of DSPs but also to the IPS officers who were wearing it much to their displeasure.
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Skiing competition attracts foreigners
Manali, February 7 “It's really not so crowded (like the slopes in Europe), we are here for the first time,” remarked Aiden, another skier. According to event organisers, the participants included 12 foreigners from Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Norway and France. The competitions to be held are slalom, giant slalom, snow-board giant slalom, snow-board cross-country 5-km race for men and women and giant slalom both for junior boys and girls, and men's veteran (40 years and above). The championship is organised by a private firm, Ski Himalayas Ropeway Pvt Ltd, in association with the local ski clubs and the state Tourism Department. The state-run Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports is providing technical assistance to the event. The Solang slopes had more than three-and-a-half feet of snow, Randhir Singh Salhuria, director of mountaineering institute, said. “In the past two days, the slopes piled up around 2-feet snow. This time the snow is plentiful. It will stay here till the end of the next month,” he added. Amitabh Sharma, the skiing event organiser, said teams from the Indian Army’s High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, the Indian Air force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and various clubs from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the host state would participate in the championship. After a gap of seven years, the Winter Games Federation of India allowed the Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association in 2010 to hold the National Senior Alpine Skiing Championship at Solang. Besides the event, the mountaineering institute is conducting skiing courses both for professionals and amateurs in Solang. The courses began last month and will continue till the slopes have snow. The Solang slopes offer a challenging run to both beginners and advanced skiers and are of international standards, said Salhuria. For newcomers, the institute is conducting basic, intermediate and advanced ski courses at Narkanda, 65 km from Shimla. — IANS
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Emerson House: The symbol of Mandi heritage
by Shriniwas Joshi Our heritage is what we value from the past and what we preserve for the future generations. When we retain the heritage buildings or landscapes, we not only retain the character of our communities, but also contribute to their social, economic and environmental sustainability. When humans get old, you do not kill them, but you look after them well so that they may add years to their lives. ‘Matasyapurana’ sees ‘Vastu Purusha’ in all structures and buildings. There is a beautiful building in pahari style made up of dressed stones with lime-surkhi mortar in the ground floor, bricks in the first floor with wooden nettings and fringes adding charm to it while slates resting on wooden truss are used for roof. This is Emerson House, at Chauhatta in Mandi. I was surprised to see a stone plaque on the main entrance from Chauhatta reading: ‘Emerson House built in 1975 and extended in 1980’. The building appears much older than that (see photo). I could clarify my doubts when a knowledgeable person told me that the years given in the plaque represented the ‘Vikrami Samvat’ and not the CE (Common Era). It means that the building was constructed in 1918. Why was it named Emerson House and not Joginder House because Raja Joginder Sen was ruling the state in 1918? It is because Raja who got the throne on April 28, 1913 was about eight years at that time and was vested with full powers of a ruling chief in February 1925. Mandi, during the period of his minority, remained under the management of British officials. Sir Herbert William Emerson, an ICS, was appointed the Superintendent and Settlement Officer in Mandi in March 1915 and left the state at the end of June 1917. He is credited to have virtually concluded the regular settlement of the Mandi state. JR Parsons, who succeeded him, in whose period the building was made, gave it the name ‘Emerson House’ honouring Sir Emerson’s contribution to the state. Emerson also remained the Governor of Punjab twice from April 12, 1933, to February 1, 1934, and June 9, 1934, to April 4, 1938. Emerson House, at present, accommodates the judicial courts on the first floor and a few government offices, including that of the public relations officer, press room and a restaurant, on the ground floor. A long violent jiggle by the press and the public awakened the government from its slumber and it recognised that dilapidation of the heritage building deserved to be checked. A team of the Archaeological Wing of the Department of Language and Culture inspected it and reported that barring the roof, the building was in a tolerable condition and could be preserved. The team also observed that the major repair and alterations done by the private restaurant were contrary to the archaeological environs of the building that was constructed 94 years ago and its presence here was a potential fire-hazard. The report concludes with the words: “The overall repair work should be carried out on the principle ‘where it is, as it is’, i.e. without any dimensional, structural, and material specification change with emphasis on minimum restoration with maximum conservation of the existing material”. The district administration has sanctioned Rs 34 lakh for conserving the building and the PWD has already taken up the work and intends completing it by the end of March. Article 51 A (f) of our Constitution defines the fundamental duty on conservation: “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture”. The traditional building, aesthetically designed, is not dead and gone. It is still a living structure and there are many such buildings in the state where we try to locate our identity through its gloried past. These buildings need not be covered under Theodore Shonts ‘old order changeth, giving place to new’ but to be seen as ‘old is gold’. Emerson House is an unquestionable gold in the heart of Mandi town.
Tailpiece
“Do not clap too hard, it is a heritage building.” — John Osborne
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Shanta: Conduct all elections once in 5 years
Dharamsala, February 7 In a press statement issued here recently, Shanta Kumar said if elections of Parliament and the Vidhan Sabha were conducted collectively, it would save public money worth Rs 12,000 crore. Besides, several crore rupees spent by candidates and political parties for the publicity of their candidates would also be saved. He said every aspirant in election spends huge amount from his pocket and liquor was also being distributed lavishly to voters to allure them in their favour. Every year when elections were being held in some states, every political party, government and their leaders gets busy in elections and government’s work gets struck due to the election activities. The Vidhan Sabha elections in five states would be completed in February, and prior elections in 2007, elections were conducted in five states, in 2008 and 2009 in nine states, respectively, and in 2010 in two states and in 2011 in five states. Elections in the state, where elections were conducted in 2007 would again be due in 2012. “We shall be conducting election in some states almost every year,” he said. Shanta Kumar said democracy in the nation had now become the “electioncracy” and political parties and governments had no time to think on the basic issues of the country. Before 1967, elections were conducted at a stretch and this could be done now also. This exercise would save billions of rupees, along with precious time, of the nation, he said. The BJP leader said the Prime Minister should take an initiative to amend the election rules with elaborate discussion and consensus with all political parties so that elections could be conducted once in five years for all democratic institutions right from the panchayat to Parliament. If any post fell vacant due to some unavoidable circumstances, the candidate on the second position should be declared elected. This would stop the need for byelections also, he added.
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Transparency in governance top priority: CM
Palampur, February 7 He said if public grievances were redressed at the lower level, people could be saved from travelling a long distance to reach Shimla for petty matters. Dhumal was talking to mediapersons at the PWD Rest House, Bharwain, recently. The Chief Minister said transparency in the governance was the top most priority of his government, adding that the welfare of the common man was the main concern of his government. He said all efforts were made for the quick disposal of public grievances and the government machinery had categorically been directed to clear such files without any delay. Dhumal said the government had also directed the Deputy Commissioners and other senior field functionaries to accord top priority for redressal of public grievances. Besides, directions had already been issued to all the departments to participate in the ‘Prashashan Janta Ke Dwar Par’ (government at the door steps of the people).
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Students urged to conserve wetlands
While inaugurating the programme, Vandana Thaplyal, state director of the WWF-India, underlined the need to conserve wetlands and exhorted the students to conserve the nature and importance of wetlands. While giving presentation on the Pong Dam Reservoir, DS Dadwal, Assistant Conservator Forest (ASF), Wildlife, said that the reservoir is an abode of migratory birds of over 415 species and the Pong Lake area is replete with immense tourism potential. Chief guest Satish Gupta, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife, Hamirpur, said theme of the WWD this year was ‘Wetland and Tourism’. “The WWD is focused to ensure well-managed tourism practices, mitigating adverse effect of tourism on wetlands and educating tourists on the value of wetlands,” he said. The chief guest also gave away prizes to the winners of painting and declamation contests.
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NGO honours ex-servicemen
Hamirpur, February 7 A large number of ex-servicemen from Sujanpur Assembly segment and their families were honoured by the NGO to express gratitude for serving the nation and defending the borders of the country. According to organisers of the programme, over 3,500 ex-servicemen and 12 Army officers were honoured at the function. The headmasters and teachers, who have rendered yeoman service at government school, Patlandar, were also honoured on the occasion. Addressing the function, president of Sarav Kalyankari Sabha Rajinder Rana said, “I have been serving the people of the area for many years and I would continue to do so in whatever manner people want me to serve them”. Rana said, “Our organisation has always held the serving armed personnel and ex-servicemen in high esteem”. “The Sabha is committed to work for upliftment of every section of the society. It has made efforts to help poor families by giving them financial help to arrange marriages of their daughters and getting their children educated, besides helping mahila mandals and youth clubs,” he said.
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Primary school in dilapidated building
Sundernagar, February 7 Residents of Sidyani village are worried about the safety of their children who are studying in the government primary school as the roof of the two-storeyed building may fall any time. Interestingly, when the matter was brought to the notice of the higher authorities, it directed the school staff to lock rooms on the first floor and shift three classes to the two rooms on the ground floor. At present all five classes, along with one office of the Centre Head of the complex, runs in two rooms. The classes can be seen functioning in the open ground of the school. The situation during rainy days is worse when all the four teachers, along with 65 students, have to sit in two rooms, the villagers revealed. Pointing towards the roof, three students of the school said, “Heaven may not fall, but this roof will surely fall one day if it is not reconstructed”. According to the school staff, they have written several letters to the higher authorities to bring the matter to their knowledge. The school submitted an estimate of around Rs 2 lakh for repair work through the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan a few months ago. When no budget was received for repairs, the school wrote to the PWD office at Rewalsar to declare the building unsafe, where the matter is still pending. According to Block Primary Education Officer, Balh, Pushpa Sharma, a request letter, along with the estimated amount, was received from the school which was forwarded to the higher officials. Till it is sanctioned, the school staff was directed to lock the rooms in order to avoid any mishap. When the matter was brought to his knowledge, Deputy Director (Elementary), Mandi, Braham Dass, denied scarcity of funds, but said no proposal from the field had been received. He said now that the matter had been brought to his notice, he would immediately visit the spot and look into the matter. It brings to light the mismanagement of funds in the Education Department despite the government’s tall claims of having spent Rs 382 crore in the past four years towards raising school infrastructure. Government Primary School, Sidhyani, is situated about 20 km from the district headquarters on the Mandi-Sarkaghat Road. Even though higher officials of the department pass through this road, no one cared to improve the situation, the villagers rued. Officials at different levels may say anything, but children of many schools in the state, which had bagged an award for the best education in the country, are suffering because of the infrastructural problems which have magnified due to the government’s apathy.
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Land for NDRF Battalion
Nurpur, February 7 Following the recommendation of the state government, this had been proposed over three years ago in this panchayat. Enquiries reveal that the ITBP has identified 40 hectares in the Upreed ward of the panchayat. Out of the 40 hectares, 23 of government forest land and 17 of private land of locals are being acquired for the purpose. The state revenue authorities have recently issued notices to 119 private landholders for acquiring their land for the NDRF battalion. Their suggestions and objections were also sought in this connection. After acquiring the private land, around 200 persons would be affected. The government has already got the forest clearance in principle in November 2010 from the Union Environment and Forest Ministry. According to information, the user agency, (ITBP), has to fell 911 trees for which Rs 55 lakh will be deposited as compensation for forestation and Rs 1.5 crore as Net Present Value of the acquired forest land to the ministry. After fulfilling the conditions, the ITBP will get physical acquisition of the forest land. According to local revenue authorities, ITBP personnel can visit and inspect the land (private and forest) identified for setting up the battalion without any hurdle. Meanwhile, local MLA Rakesh Pathania while thanking Chief Minister PK Dhumal for approving the ITBP battalion in the Nurpur area, said Rs 350 crore would be spent on the same and it would prove a boon for the economy of the area. “This battalion will be equipped with the latest technology and cater to the needs of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. In the first phase, 1,100 ITBP personnel will be deployed in the battalion for providing crisis management to beneficiary states,” he added.
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Musical evening at Gaiety Theatre
The performance of “Jal Tarang” maestro Hanumant Sahay Mahavir from Jaipur left the audience spellbound. There are only a few musicians who play the instrument and such programmes have of late become quite rare. Besides “Jal Tarang”, classical vocalist Pandit Bholanath Mishra also came out with a mesmerising performance. The programme was held on the conclusion of the two-day workshop on Hindustani Classical Music (Vocal) organised by the Income Tax Authorities under the aegis of the Central Revenue Sports and Culture Board. Inaugurated by the Commissioner, Income Tax, Himachal Region, PS Punia, the workshop was attended by participants from across the country. He said such programmes went a long way in preserving and promoting the great tradition of the rich Indian culture and heritage. The main resource person for the event, Bholanath Mishra, threw light on the finer nuances and changing styles in the Hindustani vocal music traditions. Property tax from govt depts
Under tremendous pressure to raise resources, the fund-starved Shimla Municipal Corporation has decided to recover property tax from the government departments on the pattern of the private owners. The department will soon dispatch demand notices to all the departments for the recovery of arrears of property tax. There are a number of buildings owned by the departments and public sector units, which owe over Rs 80 lakh to the local body on account of property tax. The corporation will also launch a special drive to recover arrears of property tax from private owners, which have crossed the Rs 4-crore mark, before the end of the financial year. The corporation has recovered an amount of about Rs 6.5 crore and it was making efforts to recover the arrears amounting to over Rs 5 crore by March 31.
Gymnastics coaching
Coaching in gymnastics will be again resumed at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Shimla, albeit any equipment for now. Necessary equipment was acquired for the indoor complex in early 1990s. However, it was used for sometime only after which it fell into disuse and later dumped in stores. As expected, the equipment got rusted and reduced to junk. The local authorities auctioned the equipment on the assurance that the new one will be procured shortly. However, this did not happen and there has been no gymnastic training at the complex for the past quite sometime. Some young boys who were keen to undergo training brought the matter to the notice of the Sports Department which has directed the centre to resume coaching without waiting for equipment. The beginners, in particular, did not require equipment as they are to be trained in floor exercise first. Suman Rawat, joint director of the department, said the in charge of the centre, had been asked to submit the proposal for the purchase of new equipment. It would take sometime to procure the equipment. However, coaching would be started immediately. The training may start but it has exposed the casual manner in which the department has been running its centre without bothering about the proper use of the equipment. It is true that the equipment has to be replaced after it has competed its life, but it has to be carried out in a phased manner without disturbing the training programme as sportspersons cannot afford a break in the training. Instead of allowing the old equipment to rust in stores, auction and acquisition of new equipment should be carried out simultaneously. (Contributed by Rakesh
Lohumi)
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Scribes real sentinels of society: CM
Bilaspur, February 7 The Chief Minister said the state government on its part had done a lot for journalists of the state. The government earned appreciation from the media for some of its public welfare schemes, he said. He said some people, who had vested interest, criticised the government’s efforts to turn the state in to an ‘education hub’. He assured to look into some of the pressing demands of journalists which were earlier highlighted by the federation’s state president Jai Kumar. Their demands included providing free treatment to journalists in government hospitals, free travel in private buses and pension to retired veteran journalists after they leave active service in newspapers. — OC
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Getting a job in a government school or office was a general aim of most of the students graduating in Himachal. However, the scenario is changing thanks to the efforts of private consultants.
Shimla February 7
“What a nice ski slope,” remarked Canadian skier John Lee. Lee and his friends are skiing on the Solang slopes near this picturesque tourist resort and are among the 336 participants gathered here for a four-day Alpine Premier League that began on Monday.
Nurpur, February 7
In a rare initiative the Shimla Income Tax Office organised a musical evening to bring alive the historic Gaiety Theatre with melodic sound of “JalTarang”(see photo), a fascinating percussion instrument which is fast vanishing from the scene.