Swachhta Mission: National honour for district

Dharam Prakash Gupta

THE district has been included among the top 10 districts in the country under ‘Swachhta Mission’. This appreciation for the district has come for successfully making it open defecation-free, for taking concrete steps to manage solid waste management and launching a development campaign.

A certificate of appreciation to the district was given to Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam by Union Rural Development Minister Birender Singh in a function held recently in New Delhi.

To verify the claim made by different districts regarding the parameters set under the ‘Swachhta Mission’, the Central Government had sent a team to evaluate the progress. The work to make the district open defecation-free received wide acclaim at the nation level and the district is likely to be soon declared as open defecation-free.

Schools penalised

The district Education Department has penalised 41 private schools by disaffiliating these for not appointing qualified teachers and sending regular reports.

The department had asked all private schools to appoint Teachers Entrance Test (TET) qualified teachers in their schools and send a report in this regard for renewing the affiliation of these schools.

Officials in the department are maintaining that affiliation to those private schools will not be granted until they appoint qualified teachers. On the other hand, managements of private schools say that they are not getting TET qualified teachers.

Award for Kangana 

Local residents and parents of actress Kangana Ranaut are elated as the actress has been selected to receive the best actress award for her double role in “Tanu Weds Manu Returns”. This is her third national award and she will be receiving from the President Pranab Mukerjee on May 3 in New Delhi. The father of Kangana Ranaut said the family would be present on the occasion. 

Nanak Chand Saini

Social activist and former state organising secretary of the Congress Sewa Dal Nanak Chand Saini died here recently. A National Development Scheme instructor, Saini was a keen sports lover and played a leading role in promoting sports and training students of the area, besides taking part in different social activities. He was active in the pensioner’s state welfare organisation. Several organisations have expressed grief over his death.

(The writer is a veteran journalist)