Re: Kerala Partners Forum has been disssolved

[Guest guest]

Dear Members

I recently joined in the forum: but was aware of the discussions through my

colleagues. I use my first chance to reply to the mail of the president of

Partners Forum Kerala.

I had also involved with the Targeted Intervention (TI) process in Kerala for

making the partnership a good movement and a success model. But where we

mistracked? I don't believe that it is now.

This attitude from Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) was there from long

time back. Even PFK was strong enough to take the role of the Project Support

Unit after the contract period of DMM and all of us know how it was manipulated.

Also what made us keep mum till now in all situations where we were pulled back

and cornered.

Is PFK was a forum owned by KSACS ?

It is a fact that KSACS is playing a big-brother in Kerala. They won't allow any

other programme to grow in this field unless and otherwise it is implemented

through or approved by them. And the present PD has added another phase to it by

possessing the whole field and Society as his own private property.

How many complaints were raised by the partners during the past two years

regarding the appointments, financial irregularities, irresponsibilities,

ill-treatment to Partners and staff, mis-utilization of posts by authorities of

KSACS and PSU.

Any body heard about any actions taken on this ?

If PFK had taken any steps in taking follow up on this as it is a body formed by

the partners ? The answer is a big NO. Actually KSACS has made PFK tongue-tied

or frozen for a long time and this was the last punch.

This was only the recent in the series of events against the partnership ethics

from KSACS.

Is it now only PFK came to know that the entire process was non transparent and

unilaterally decided by KSACS. Where did the previous complaints go ? Is there

any body bothered about what is happening now ?

Everybody associate with TI in Kerala know that the grading of NGOs was a

pre-planned drama with invited characters from national level also. But they

don’t know what role they have played here in the name of desk-top evaluation.

Is KSACS dare enough to declare the marks of partners they got in the grading

process ? Can they re-read loudly the debriefing of the evaluators ?

As per the Staff recruitment criteria for TI fixed in 42nd Core-group,

eligibility for applying for Project Managers in PSH are Post Graduation in

Sociology, Psychology, Behavioural Sciences, Social Work, Management and Public

Health.

But the NGO Adviser and PSU have their own green-channel candidates posted this

month (through centralized recruitment) with PG in Journalism, English

Literature and even BHMS.

PFK president herself is complaining that no efforts have been made by KSACS and

PSU to look into their role and some of the PSU/SACS staff adopted divide and

rule strategy and has unprofessionally monitored the partners based on their

personal bias. And when the enquiry reports suggested changing the concerned

persons, the higher authorities protected them. It reveals only the weakness of

PFK where it failed to stand for its objectives as the common voice of partners.

But I do appreciate PFK authorities in showing their integrity at least now, as

they felt that it lost its relevance and it is better to dissolve rather than

fit into a system, which consider partnerships as tokenistic and decorative.

Congratulations !!!

Krishnakumar Panjol

e-mail: <panjolkrishna@...>