HEALTH

Kids spread pulse polio message
From Our Correspondent

LALRU, Jan 21 — More than 2,000 students from six government and private schools, teachers and other residents of the town formed a human chain here today to create awareness about the pulse polio programme.

Hundreds of students, wearing caps and carrying placards and banners having slogans to eradicate polio, lined up a stretch of 1.5 km of the highway. They shouted slogans to highlight the importance of the campaign.

They also took out a rally through the the town. It concluded at Baba Prithavi Singh Memorial Civil Hospital.

Dr Rameshwar Chandra, Civil Surgeon of Patiala, took a round of the human chain and appreciated the students' effort to make residents of the area conscious about the pulse polio drive. "The Punjab Health Department has set a target of vaccinating 2,61,000 children up to the age of five years in Patiala district on January 23. For this purpose 1,700 health workers have been put on duty and 39 mobile teams, besides 809 stationary teams, have been formed. Only one polio case has been detected so for in Punjab," he said.

He thanked Health Department workers and members of panchayats and social organisations for their participation. Besides health workers of dispensaries, Dr Daler Singh Multani, SMO, Lalru, Mr Basher Singh Bachhal, an Akali leader, Mr Nirmal Singh Malikpur, a youth Akali leader, and Mr Raghubir Juneja, a social activist, were present on the occasion.

Workshop on AIDS
From a Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Jan 21 — The NSS units of Government College, Sector 46, organised a workshop on preparing NSS volunteers for combating AIDS in collaboration with Institute for Development and Communication today.

It was inaugurated by the Principal of the college, Mr D.P. Singh. Speaking on the occasion, he said NSS volunteers could play an effective role in combating AIDS and stressed the involvement of the youth in schools and colleges to make the people aware about AIDS.

Teachers from different colleges of city also visited the workshop and participated in different activities. Mr G.S. Bhatti, Assistant Programme Adviser, Regional Centre, NSS, gave the vote of thanks.

SPORT

Kamalpreet wins gymnastics bronze
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 21 — Kamalpreet Nakai, a Class XI student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, won a bronze medal at the XIth Junior National Gymnastics (under-17) Championship, which concluded recently at New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), organised by the West Bengal Gymnastics Association.

Kamalpreet took part in the rhythmic gymnastics (ribbon) event and got 14.925 points, the only Chandigarh gymnast to achieve this. She regularly practices at Gymnastics Coaching Centre in Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary School, Sector 27. She gives the credit for her achievement to Neelam Sharma, a Sports Authority of India gymnastics coach at this centre. Kamalpreet had also won a bronze medal at the National School Games held in Surat past year. The other girls of this centre who participated along with Kamalpreet in the Junior National Gymnastics Meet were Pinki, Asha, Nanki Singh and Monica.

Athletes shine: Athletes of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Sector 40-C, won nine medals — three gold and an equal number of silver and bronze medals — at the Second Inter-School Athletics Meet organised by the Chief Khalsa Diwan (Amritsar) recently. The school also won the overall third position and 13 students of the school took part in this meet.

The medals in various events were as follows: High jump, 100 m and long jump (all gold medals); 4 x 100 m relay race, Triple jump and long lump in the boys' section (all silver medals); long jump (girls), 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay race (all bronze medals).

Avneet, Jaswinder 100 m champs
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 21 — Avneet of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, in the girls' section and Jaswinder Singh of SD Public School, Sector 32, in the boys' section, won a gold medal each in the 100 m race at the first Inter-School Sports Meet in five disciplines organised by the UT Sports Department which concluded here today. The closing ceremony will take place tomorrow at the Sector 10 Skating Rink at 10.30 a.m. where cash awards to winners and runners-up would be distributed.

In the volleyball matches, Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, got the first position in the boys' section, while Government Model High School, Sector 26, won the first position in the girls' section. DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, won the boys' handball event, while Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, won in girls' section.

IS Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, won the girls' basketball and hockey events, whereas, DAV Model School, Sector 15, won the boys' basketball event.

The detailed results are as follows: Athletics (100 m) — Jaswinder Singh (SDP-32) 1, time-12.0 sec; Sanjeev (GSSS, Karsan) 2; 800 m — Vinod Kumar (GSSS, Karsan) 1, time-2:27.6 sec; Latif Mohammad (GSSS, Karsan) 2; Javelin throw — Sanjeev (GSSS, Karsan) 1, distance-49.12 metres; Rajnish (SGGSS, Sector 35) 2.

Girls (100 m) — Avneet (BV-27) 1, time-14.5 sec; Shalini (Sarvhitkari, Sector 40) 2; 800 m — Suman (ISDSSS, Sector 21) 1, time-2:50.8 sec; Gurbaz (GHS, Sector 40) 2; javelin throw — Amandeep Kaur (ISDSSS, Sector 21) 1, distance-21.52 m; Pooja Mehta (AKSIPS, Sector 41) 2.

Basketball (boys) — SPS, Sector 41, beat AKSIPS, Sector 41 (49-06); DAV Model School, Sector 15, beat GMHS-26 (38-16); girls — IS Dev Samaj School, Sector 21, beat GMHS, Sector 26 (40-22); GMSSS, Sector 16, beat AKSIPS, Sector 41, (8-4).

Final standings (basketball): boys — DAV Model School, Sector 15 (1), SPS-41 (2); girls — IS Dev Samaj, Sector 21 (1), Government Model High School, Sector 26 (2); handball finals — DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, beat SGGSS, School, Sector 35, 19-8; girls — Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, beat SGGSS School, Sector 35 (10-2).

Volleyball (boys) — Shivalik Public School, Sector 41 (1); Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 27 (2); girls — Government Model High School, Sector 26 (1); Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 (2).

ADMINISTRATION

Public to be involved in sanitation
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Jan 21 — Mohalla sanitation committees are planned to be set up here if residents show adequate involvement in the scheme.

Stating this, Dr Karamjit Singh Sra, Deputy Director, Local Government, Ludhiana, who took charge as Administrator of the local Municipal Council today, said his priority would be improvement in sanitation. The term of the elected civic body ended yesterday.

Dr Sra, who took over amidst rumours that the local SDM, Mr O.P. Popli, would be appointed Administrator, said the new scheme had been implemented in Samrala and Jagraon. He had the job of supervising 17 municipal committees at present.

Under the scheme, the council would pay Rs 2,500 per year year for purchasing wheel-barrows and brooms for the mohalla committees formed by residents. The committees would employ their own safai karamcharis, who would be paid a salary of Rs 1,000 per month by the civic body. The job of safai karamchari would be to clear 1 km of road length.

Dr Sra said the recent privatisation of sanitation undertaken by the council would be looked into. If the work was satisfactory, the scheme could be extended to other areas of the town, he stated.

He said he would take up with the PUDA authorities the problem of garbage disposal in the town.

He said the council did not have a yard for keeping stray animals and help from PUDA would be sought in this connection.