IE Briefs

Teachers’ body to hold state-level protest at Lambi on Nov 7
Ludhiana: The Democratic Teacher Front,Punjab,has decided to hold a state-level protest march and rally at Lambi in Muktsar district,Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s constituency,on November 7. Its state president Bhupinder Singh Waraich said their protest was against the “dictatorial policies” of Director General,Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,Punjab,Krishan Kumar and they wanted the the government to transfer him or abolish the post. Front general secretary Harcharan Channa said: “PCS or IAS officers should not be appointed to the education department. Our other demands are that all schools under zila parishads should be brought under the education department and all elementary and BEd teachers appointed on contract basis and teaching fellows should be regularised.” The elementary teachers’ union,meanwhile,held a meeting along with like-minded teacher unions on Friday and discussed their problems. Union chief Balraj Ghaloti said they would hold a flag march on October 24 in the constituency of Rural and Panchayat Development Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura. District and block-level rallies will be held on October 25 and 28,respectively. On November 13,teachers who have been suspended for protesting against the state government will held a protest in Badal village.

‘Himachal emerging as model of total sanitation for India’
Shimla: Leading international expert on community-led total sanitation Dr Kamal Kar termed Himachal Pradesh an emerging model of rural sanitation campaign in the country. He was speaking at a three¿day workshop on total sanitation,which started here on Friday. Kar’s views got endorsement from a brief overview,which Secretary for Department of Drinking Water Supply,Government of India,A K Misra made at the inaugural session in the presence of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. The latest figures of different surveys,which the Central government has got done by independent agencies,has showed Himachal’s coverage upto 97 per cent,which Misra claimed as remarkable in any state.