Activists host award ceremony

Kolhapur: Activists from the city held a dummy best teacher award ceremony to protest the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation's (KMC) inability to conduct a proper presentation ceremony for teachers who have won the award in the last five years.The ceremony was held on the premises of KMC at Vitthal Ramji Shinde Chowk.Each year, KMC announces best teacher awards in 12 categories. Since 2019, the KMC has not held any function to present the awards.“A celebratory Kolhapur pheta was tied on the heads of the activists who posed as ‘best teachers’. The fake ceremony even had a guest in a suit, and we made announcements to call the fake winners ahead,” an activist said. Ramesh More, another activist, said, “Most teachers who have been selected for the award have either retired or passed away. The civic authorities have made a mockery of the event, and they lack coordination to conduct one.”