DLF management draws flak
GURGAON, Oct 23 — Residents of DLF Enclave staged a demonstration in front of Gymkhana Club in support of their demands here on Thursday.

Haryana Police transfers
CHANDIGARH, Oct 23 — The Haryana Government today cancelled the transfer of Mr A.S. Chawla, Superintendent of Police, Rewari.

Marked fall in polio cases in Haryana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 23 — Effective implementation of the pulse polio immunisation has brought about a marked decline in incidence of polio in Haryana over the past four years.

Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr G. Madhavan, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Health, said the number of polio cases had come down from 2,500 in 1995 to 140 last year. This year so far only 24 suspected cases had been reported but the wild virus causing the disease had been isolated in only one case from Jhajjar district.

The success of the programme could be guaged from the fact that the coverage of eligible children aged up to five was as high as 99.5 per cent last year. However, to achieve the target of making the state and the country polio-free by the year 2000, 100 per cent children had to be immunised. This year the PPI had been replaced by intensified Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme under which four rounds of immunisation would be carried out instead of two and after each round the health workers would conduct a house-to-house survey to ensure that every eligible child was covered. Thus each round would last three days instead of one as earlier.

In all nearly 29 lakh children in the state would be administered polio doses in the four rounds to be held on October 24, November 21, December 19 and January 23. The left little finger of each child would be marked with gentian violet so as to enable the volunteers to detect the children who had not been vaccinated during the house-to-house search.

As many as 11,153 posts have been set up for the purpose. Besides, 500 mobile teams would also be pressed into service for the floating population and the difficult remote areas. Over 45,000 persons would carry out the gigantic task.

Dr P.L. Jindal, Director, General Health Services, said the state had been able to contain the dengue fever and there were only 25 suspected cases of which none was confirmed. There had been no fatal case since 1996 when 54 persons had died of the disease.

However, the battle against the Hepatitis-B was still on and as many as 3.17 per cent of the population was infected with the virus. Besides another 2.87 per cent was infected with Hepatitis-C. The vaccine for Hepatitis-B was now available at reasonable rates and the government was considering including it in the National Immunisation Programme.

DLF management draws flak
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, Oct 23 — Residents of DLF Enclave staged a demonstration in front of Gymkhana Club in support of their demands here on Thursday.

Mr Indera Vikram Singh, President of the DLF Qutab Enclave Welfare Association said the DLF was supposed to provide club, community centre and parking facilities out of the money collected as internal development charges from property holders. But it was not sharing their management with the residents. No resident was on the managing board of the DLF. The club built on the community site was being "grabbed" by the DLF by adopting "unconstitutional" means, he alleged saying they should then to be run on a no profit, no loss basis.

According to the association, any cable operator having a P&T licence could operate in the enclave yet the DLF management created obstruction in this regard.

It claimed that in spite of the direction, of the Director Town And Country Planning, the management was continuing to recover maintenance charges from property owners.

The association claimed that the power supply was chaotic and drinking water was available only for a few hours.

No community centre had been constructed in phases II, III and IV and the residents were facing a lot of difficulties because of the non-implementation of the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act, it said.

New method to treat Parkinson patients
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Oct 23 — A cure for the crippling Parkinson’s disease has been found through a painless, non-surgical technology called "deep brain stimulation".

The method developed by a team of neuro-surgeons led by Dr L B Tamas of California is being used at the Escorts Hospital here for the first time in India.

It requires planting of electrodes inside the brain which is connected to a pace-maker under the skin below the shoulder. To perform any kind of activity, the patient has to switch on the pacemaker with the help of a magnetic card. This stimulates the "deep brain nuclei" which in turn leads to regression of tremors and stiffness, the main symptoms of the disease. The device can be switched off when the patient is asleep.

This was explained to mediapersons by Dr Tamas, who is here to attend a workshop of neuro -surgeons last night.

He said the technique could also be used at a later stage for elimination of pain, movement disorders, hysteria and epilepsy.

The Escorts Hospital has so far treated two patients suffering from the disease successfully. One of them, Rajinder Sethi, a civil engineer in Delhi, was bedridden for several years and was unable to perform any function without help. After the implantation of electrodes in his brain by Dr Alok Gupta on October 9, he can now walk and perform all bodily functions without help.

Dr N.K. Paney, Executive Director of the Hospital, said an expenditure of Rs 4.50 lakh was needed for the implant on both sides of the brain.

Haryana Jats seek OBC status
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 23 — The All-India Jat Mahasabha has sought OBC status for Jats of Haryana on the pattern of Rajasthan and Delhi.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, the general secretary of the Mahasabha, Mr Yudhvir Singh, said the Jat community in Haryana deserved reservation in government jobs.

He asked the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to immediately accept the report of the Gurnam Singh Commission which had recommended inclusion of the Jats in the OBC category along with other communities a few years ago.

He said the report had not been implemented due to political considerations by the then state government. He announced that the Mahasabha would not accept another commission in this regard. If the government failed to take any action soon, the Mahasabha would be forced to start a stir.

He said the Congress government in Rajasthan had been "taught a lesson" when it failed to honour its commitment and tried to befool the Jats there just before the Lok Sabha elections.

He announced that a committee had been set up under the chairmanship of Mr Uday Singh Mann to prepare a strategy in this connection. The Mahasabha also convened a state-level meeting at Sir Chhotu Ram Park here on October 31 to discuss the matter.

Haryana Police transfers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 23 — The Haryana Government today cancelled the transfer of Mr A.S. Chawla, Superintendent of Police, Rewari.

The transfer of Mr Prithi Singh, who was to replace him, has been modified and he has been posted as Superintendent of Police, Vigilance.

Mr M.S. Malik, S.P., Vigilance, goes as Assistant Inspector-General, Police, Welfare, while Mr Ved Prakash, S.P., Vigilance, takes over as such at the Police Training College, Madhuban.

Mr Hukum Singh, DSP, who was under transfer, has been posted as DSP, Mohindergarh. Mr Bishan Singh, DSP, under transfer, goes as DSP, Kurukshetra, Vice Mr Rajinder Singh, who has been posted as DSP, Meham.