HEALTH

Ayurvedic medical college ailing
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — The state of affairs prevailing in the Dhanwantry Ayurvedic Medical College, Sector 46, indicate the gradual deterioration in the day-to-day functioning of this institute, allegedly due to indifference on the part of the management.

Prof Charanjit Chawla, a Senator, had raised this issue in the last Senate meeting of Panjab University, following which a committee was constituted. The committee has already submitted its report, it is learnt.

Sources have alleged that serious financial irregularities have been detected on the part of college authorities. Sources disclose that one of the members of the Managing Committee had drawn Rs 2.30 crore at 18 per cent rate of interest. But excepting Rs 1 crore, the remaining amount and the interest due is yet to be accounted for. Another member had taken a loan of Rs 3.50 lakh, but he has so far returned only Rs 1.5 lakh.

Following these irregularities, a Finance Recovery Committee was constituted to to look into the matter. Upon investigation, it found that the amount of Rs 3.5 lakh with interest at the rate of 18 per cent had swelled to Rs 10 lakh. But one of the members revealed that when the member was asked to return the balance amount in a meeting held recently, he allegedly misbehaved and used foul language. This happened in the presence of the Chairman of the Managing Committee.

Another member of the society has revealed that the Union Government's grant to the college for purchase of equipment/books had not been utilised. In fact, the misuse of the same has resulted in the sealing of the bank accounts and the Government of India asking for refund with interest of the entire amount. The institution has been blacklisted following improper handling of the situation. The Secretary, Mr R.D Gupta, who wants to be relieved is not being relieved so that the secrets of financial irregularities do not get exposed, sources reveal. The President did not consider the item about the appointment of a new secretary in his place in the recent meeting.

It was also alleged in the Senate meeting that no regular appointment of the Principal of the college has been made so far. Besides this, several professors and doctors who have been recently appointed do not even possess the required qualification and experience.

A visit to the college premises brought to light the poor maintenance of the building and the stink that one has to bear while passing though the corridors. The Pharmacy Department of the college is not only ill-equipped but also stocks old medicines with fungus. No efforts are being made to procure modern equipment. While the beds in this 150-bedded hospital are lying vacant for most part of the year with no patients admitted, hardly any patient visits the OPD. Sources disclose that those few who come also are gradually encouraged by the doctors to come to their private clinics.

The upkeep of the herbal garden on the campus is also unsatisfactory with no new herbs being planted or named in the past few years.

Students allege that the college is supposed to provide two to three cadavers for dissection in the anatomy class but only one is provided to the entire group at the end of the year. Vikram Singh, President of the Students Welfare Council, lamented that the college hospital does not even have the required infrastructure for internship and they are often attached to General Hospital, Sector 16, for the same. He also highlighted the problems being faced by them in the absence of a hostel and has demanded that the same should be constructed at the earliest.

The Acting Principal of the College, Mr S.K. Thakur, when confronted with the sad state of affairs in the college attributed it to the winter vacation and the employees trying to avail themselves of their balance leave. He said that most of the doctors discharge their patients before they proceed on leave, hence no patients can be found in the wards.

Parents, on condition of anonymity, revealed that the future of their wards is insecure in the light of these circumstances. They alleged that while huge amounts have been taken from them at the time of admission, their wards are not being provided adequate facilities. They have sought the intervention of the Administration as the ongoing tussle between the members of the management is worsening the situation and the worst affected are the students.

Efforts were made to contact Dr Venod Sharma, President of the Society, for his comments on the prevailing situation, but he is away to Delhi.

PGI department holds get-together
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — The Department of Dietetics, PGI, organised a small get-together to usher in New Year here today.

Addressing the employees of the department, the Medical Superintendent, Dr A.K. Gupta, lauded the efforts made by them during the last one year for streamlining the functioning and motivated them to do better this year. “The trend of good performance must be maintained,” he said.

Earlier, the Head of the department, Ms S. Khurana, highlighted achievements and improvements made by them in cooking and in service.

Later, Dr Gupta and other officers gave away prizes to meritorious workers of the department, who had improved their work during the last one year. These include Mr Shiv Singh, Mr Sohan Singh, Mr Khula Nand, Mr Dhroov Singh, Mr Rachan Singh, Mr Rajeev Kumar and Mr Salinder Kumar.

Dr Gupta disclosed that such functions were organised from time to time to boost the morale of workers and to encourage interaction so as to get the desired feedback from them.

SPORT

Puneet finds glory in pool
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — A swimmer needs regular exposure in order to remain in top form. However, going by the decreasing number of tournaments and no direct representation to Chandigarh swimmers at the national games, city swimmers lack good exposure.

Puneet Rana a 16-year-old Class XII student of the local Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, recently hit the headlines by clinching a gold medal in 100m breaststroke event at the 45th National School Games held at the NIS in Patiala, past year.

This five-feet-11-inch tall boy has been coached by Mr J.S. Negi of the UT Sports Department who says, “Puneet was a disciplined boy from the beginning.”

Puneet became the first swimmer to bag a gold medal at the National School Games in this event in the under-19 section. He also got a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in the under-19 section at the same tournament.

His academic record is equally brilliant as he got 80 per cent marks in the Class X examinations. He aims to become an engineer or a civil servant.

Puneet’s father, Dr L.S. Rana, a Deputy Director of the Forensic Laboratory (Punjab), said Puneet started excelling in studies as he took to swimming nearly five years ago.

“It was the promixity to the Sector 23 swimming pool and an interest shown by the neighbourhood friends which developed my interest in swimming,” said Puneet.

Puneet did his earlier schooling at Mount Carmel School, Sector 46, and then passed the Class X examination from Shishu Niketan Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, where he began learning swimming. Puneet felt sad at participating as a Punjab player because Chandigarh did not have any representation at the national meet.

He represented Punjab at the 25th Junior National Swimming Meet at Ludhiana (group II) in September 1998, where he got a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke. In the next year, at the 26th National Junior Swimming Meet at Jodhpur, Puneet got a bronze medal. Besides him, no one from Punjab was able to win any medal.

He also took part in the National School Games at Goa in 1997. At the National School Games at Nasik in 1998, in the 100m breaststroke event (under-19), Puneet again won a bronze medal.

He has continuously been declared the best swimmer in the UT Inter-School Swimming Meet in the under-19 section for the past four years. Punjab also gave him the best swimmer award in 1995.

Puneet advocated the need for an all-weather swimming pool at Chandigarh where practice could be done year-round. He also stressed the need for more exposure to the UT swimmers in various tournaments.

PU girls win judo title
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — Panjab University girls won the All-India Inter-University Judo Championship which concluded at Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Gwalior past week.

PU topped the tally with 17 points, followed by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, with 13 points and Punjabi University, Patiala, scoring 10 points. In the men’s section, Ajay Dhir won a gold medal in the 55 kg weight section, while Bhupinder in the 60 kg section, won a bronze medal.

In the women’s section the PU team was led by Sonia Kanwar along with another international judoka, Nimrata.

Sonia got a gold medal in the 52 kg section and Nimrata in the 48 kg section. Rupinderdeep Kaur won a silver medal in the 71 kg section while Manpreet won a bronze medal in the 65 kg section. P.P. Singh accompanied the team as the coach while Narinder Kaur was the manager.

The gold-medal-winning team comprised Sonia Kanwar, Nirmata, Promila, Manpreet Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur, Neelam, Manpreet and Rupinderdeep.

Boxing tourney begins
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — The 22nd Chandigarh Junior State Boxing Championships got underway here with Dharam Singh of Sarvhitkari School, Sector 40, knocking out Sunil Sharma of Boxing Coaching Centre, Sector 46, in Referee Stock Contest in the second round.

The two-day meet organised by the Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association will end tomorrow and the finals will be played 2 p.m. onwards.

The results of today’s bouts are as follows: Bantam weight — Varinder Singh (GCM-46) b Anil Kumar (Burail Club) in the RSC OC F first round; Varinder (GCM-46) b Arvinder Kumar (DAV-8); Dharam Singh (Sarvhitkari-40) b Sunil Sharma (BCC-46) in the RSC OC third round.

Feather weight — Ashok Kumar (BCC-46) b Sandeep Kumar (Friends Club) in the RSC OC; Sandeep Yadav (Sarvhitkari School-40) b Ranbir Singh (GCM-46); Ashok Kumar (BCC-46) b Anuj Kumar (Friends Club).

Light fly weight —Vipin Kumar (BBC-46) b Mukesh Kumar (SD Club-32) in the RSC OC third round; Ajit Singh b Vinod Kumar (Government Senior Secondary School-23) (WP); flyweight — Rajiv Kumar GMSSS-23) b Balkar Singh (Burail Club) in the RSC OC first round; light weight — Sunil Kumar (SD Club-32) b Parmod Kumar (Friends Club) in the RSC OC first round; Vinod Kumar (SD Club-32) b Sandeep Kumar (Sarvhitkari-40) in the second round; light middle weight — Munish Kumar (Basic-20) b Amarpreet Singh (BCC-46) in the RSC OC first round.

Cricket tourney: The second PCA Inter-Institutional Cricket Tournament entered the final stages with Customs leading in Zone-A comprising PUNCOM, RBI, and Customs.

Customs will now meet the winner of Zone B tomorrow at the PCA Cricket Stadium in SAS Nagar. The chief guest, Mr Ashwani Luthra, Commissioner of Income Tax will give away the prizes at a ceremony tomorrow.

ADMINISTRATION

Reshuffle in the offing in Engineering Department
By Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 1 — The decision of the Chandigarh Administration to recall Mr V.K. Bhardwaj, Superintending Hospital Engineer, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, at the end of his extended deputation has set in motion the process for a reshuffle in the Engineering Department.

Mr V.K. Bhardwaj had been working at the PGI for the past some years. Before going there on deputation, he was with the Chandigarh Housing Board.

On Monday the Administration is likely to post him as Superintending Engineer, Construction circle, to relieve the Chief Engineer, Mr R.K. Jain, of the additional charge he has been holding since December,1998.

Mr Jain, who was elevated and given current duty charge as Chief Engineer after Mr K.K. Jerath was suspended, has been on deputation with the Chandigarh Administration from Haryana. Subsequently, he was promoted Chief Engineer in his parent Public Works Department (PWD), Haryana.

Though a couple of months ago, the Haryana Chief Minister had summarily ordered recall of Mr Jain from deputation, the Chandigarh Administration took up the case and urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to allow Mr Jain to continue in office until December 31. The request was acceded to. Subsequently, the Haryana Government is reported to have agreed to allow Mr Jain to continue with the Administration until the end of current financial year on March 31,2000.

In the meantime, the Administration has already forwarded the case of both Mr Puranjit Singh, Chief Engineer, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, and Mr V.K. Bhardwaj, to the Union Public Service Commission, for finalising the name of the new Chief Engineer of Chandigarh belonging to the Union Territory cadre.

As of now the personal record of both Mr Puranjit Singh and Mr Bhardwaj has already been sent to the commission. The necessary clearances from the Central Vigilance Commission and the Vigilance Departments, too, are being sent to the commission.

Once the commission finalises its recommendation, the deputationist Chief Engineer would be repatriated. This is why the Administration is keen that Mr Jain be allowed to continue here until his successor from the UT cadre is selected.

Meanwhile, Mr G.S. Rosha, Superintending Engineer, Chandigarh Housing Board, is likely to succeed Mr V.K. Bhardwaj as Superintending Hospital Engineer at the PGI. Mr Rosha belongs to the Housing Board.

Once the name of the new Chief Engineer of the Engineering Department is finalised, subequent changes are likely. In case Mr Puranjit Singh gets the green signal, he will move the Engineering Department of the Administration thus paving the way for a new Chief Engineer at Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. In that case, Mr Bhardwaj may opt to go to the Corporation as Chief Engineer.

In case Mr Bhardwaj gets the nod from the commission, then Mr Puranjit Singh will continue as Chief Engineer. In either case, the Administration will have a vacancy of Superintending Engineer, Construction circle. In all probability, the new Chief Engineer may be entrusted the additional charge of the SE (Construction circle) also, as is being done now.

MC rejects last meeting's agenda
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Jan 1 — The Municipal council at its meeting held under the chairmanship of the new President, Mr Amrik Singh Mohali, yesterday rejected all the agenda items which had been approved at the last meeting of the council held under the presidentship of Mr H.S. Billa on November 29.

Claiming that at least 13 councillors were present at today's meeting, Mr Amrik Singh said the 15 items on the agenda, including 11 table items, at the last meeting had been approved without proper quorum. The rejected agenda include a grant of Rs 50,000 to the Punjab Cultural Society for holding a cultural evening.

At today's meeting at least seven agenda items were tabled. At least two items regarding payments for the development work carried out by the Public Health Department were referred to a special committee for verifying the facts.

Mr Amrik Singh Bhatti, a councillor, said the services of a number of employees of different boards and corporations, who had been working on ad hoc basis with the council for long periods, needed to be regularised.

Mr N.K. Marwaha, another councillor, sought taking up of the pending development work.

Meanwhile, Rs 30,000 was sanctioned for the winter uniform of clerks in the octroi collection wing of the council. Provision for sanctioning house building loans in five cases and one case of a scooter loan were kept pending till the next financial year.

Two other items were also disposed of. While talking to mediapersons, the President of the council hinted at an inquiry into the poor development work as alleged by certain municipal councillors.

Rs 15 lakh earmarked for Kalka
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Jan 1 — A sum of Rs 15 lakh out of the Member of Parliament's fund will be spent in the next six months to support various development projects in the Kalka Assembly Constituency.

Addressing mediapersons at a conference today, the All-India Secretary of the BJP and local MP, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, said that Rs 1 crore has already been received in the fund. The money would be spent on education, drinking water projects, dispensaries etc.

Informing about the 'Chennai Declaration', he said that the National Council of the BJP had decided to promote the agriculture sector with increased infrastructure facilities to promote agriculture export. Also, India's software industry would be given a substantial boost to benefit the economy and lessen the burden of loan which stands at reportedly Rs 8,000 per person.

Giving brief details of his star questions during the winter session of the Parliament, he said the Central Government had approved the Yamuna Thermal Plant project and the onus was now on the state government.

Centre approves Rs 37 crore project on animals
From Our Correspondent

KHARAR, Jan 1 — The Union Government has approved a new project costing about Rs 37 crore named as National Project on Cattle and Buffalow breeding to produce good quality animals.

This was announced by Dr Rattan Singh, Animal Husbandry Minister, Punjab while inaugurating the new building of veterinary dispensary in Ballan Kalan, village near Morinda, yesterday.

According to a press note issued here today, the minister said that the centre had already sanctioned a sum of Rs 2 crore for this project, which would be implemented after March 31. He said that under this project frozen semen would be supplied to all veterinary hospitals in the state.

With the assistance from the centre a laboratory would be set up soon in Punjab which would be of international standards, in which there would be facilities to treat all types of diseases of animals.

Dr Rattan Singh said that the Punjab Government had sanctioned a sum of Rs 19 crore for the next year to set up a dairy board for proper marketing of milk. He said that with this the business of milkmen would not be affected at all. Special attention was being given to construct buildings for about 2700 veterinary institutions in the state.