Teachers will not be deployed on temple duty during 'navratri mela' in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur

BILASPUR: Teachers would not be deployed on duty at the Naina Devi shrine here during the 'Ashwin Navratri mela' next month, the temple management has decided. In place of teachers, other staff will be assigned duties, chairman of the temple trust cum Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur, Nidhi Patel said.

Teachers and other government employees are usually deployed for the management of the fair at the shrine. The decision not to deploy teachers comes in the backdrop of prolonged school closure in the district and elsewhere in Himachal Pradesh in the past two months due to torrential rains and floods. Patel said the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Swarghat, has been appointed as Fair Officer while the Station House Officer was appointed as Assistant Police Fair Officer.

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Only those people who have been licensed by the department will be able to serve 'langar' (community kitchen) in the fair, she said and issued strict instructions to the officials to check arrangements. About 10,000 to 12,000 devotees are expected to visit the Naina Devi temple daily during the fair and the area would be divided into six sectors.

The Executive Officer of Naina Devi Nagar Parishad will ensure cleanliness in the entire fair area and the Nagar Parishad will appoint adequate cleaning staff during Navratri, she added. The Additional Deputy Commissioner also instructed officials of the Transport Department to make proper arrangements for buses.