Looking back with dismay
This daily carried an item in its ‘Looking Back’ column on the dismal state of the postal services in the city. This got the Postal Department up in arms. The postal head in the GPO called his officers and blasted them for not living up to the expectation of the public.
The officers had a tough time dealing with their boss since the item outlined about missing letters galore, irregularity of the delivery system owing to the department’s failing mail transport system among others.
Later some officials from the Department turned up at the office of the ST and blasted the front office assistants for carrying such an unwarranted item. These officials said that they work tirelessly to ensure that all loopholes were plugged and how dare we berate their services.
The front office assistants too, had a tough time dealing with the “injured” officials, even as they tried to locate the news item in the daily. In the end the postal officials were told that the said item was carried in the “Looking Back” column which is a regular column that deals with news items of yesteryears.
The news item actually appeared in January 1984. Later everyone had a good laugh at their own expense. Some departments indeed are sensitive to criticism.
Training Centre & School
During the inauguration of Mother’s Vocational Training Centre (MVCT) at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture (SAIIC) in the city by Union DoNER Minister recently, Dr Ashoke K Dutta, Director, RGIIM said that the MVCT is a very important asset in the development of the region and its addition in SAIIC is timely since RGIIM consistently organizes programmes through its Centre for Development of North Eastern Region on how to generate employment.
The Director said there is need to train people to meet the market needs and not merely as an alternative career option.
The MVCT aims to contribute in reducing the global skilled manpower deficit. He informed that the Mother’s School, which was also inaugurated at the same venue by the minister, is a school with a difference as it encourages pupil to pursue their areas of interest with no formal system in place, thereby nurturing the talent in an individual, similar to the International Centre of Education, Pondicherry.
Echoing him, Opposition Leader Conrad Sangma said he was impressed that this school has a teacher-student ratio of 1:6 which is commendable.
The opposition leader said that this goes in line with the paradigm of real education especially in the case of Meghalaya, where the teacher-student ratio is highly skewed.
Sprinting for the last SPTS
It was late in the evening as the last bus towards Happy Valley arrived at the Laitumkhrah beat house bus stop.
As expected the eagerly awaiting passengers thronged the vehicle, each one of them battling for space in the bus which for some reason hardly bothered to halt for a reasonable time.
Among the crowd was a specially abled beggar, with a twisted ankle, who held on to his clutches, looking in despair as the bus began to move without any warning.
There was helplessness on the man’s face but not for long.
To the amazement of the on-lookers the beggar miraculously began to sprint with all his might as he conquered his disability, even if for a moment, to board the last bus. As they say where there is a will there is a way.