HEALTH

Transfer of Malaria Wing hailed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 1 — The Joint Action Committee of the Malaria Wing has expressed its gratitude over the decision of Chandigarh Administration for ordering the retransfer of the wing from the Municipal Corporation to the Chandigarh Administration.

The committee said the decision in was in the interest of the Department as well as the employees of the Malaria Wing.

Placing the National Anti-Malaria Programme under the control of the Director, Health Services, would envisage better coordination with other National Health Programme, according to a press note of the committee.

SPORT

Liberhan for Vietnam meet
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Mar 1 — Tushar Liberhan, another tennis sensation of Chandigarh after Sunil Kumar (national champion), who had hit the headlines past month after winning the under-14 South East Asian Tennis Championship in Islamabad (Pakistan), added another feather to his cap today when he was picked by the International Tennis Federation for the ITF East Asian (under-14) Championships. Tushar, a Class VII student of St John's High School, Sector 26, will be part the four-member Indian team, including two boys and two girls, for this meet to be held in Vietnam from April 12 to 21.

According to Mr Rajan Kashyap, Chairman of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, the other boy in the team, K. Rastogi, belongs to Maharashtra. The girls are Sania Mirza of Andhra Pradesh and Ankita Bhambri of Delhi. Tushar has also been invited by the All-India Tennis Association for the final selection trials for the World Junior Championship to be held in Indonesia. These trials will be held in the last week of March.

Nirmaljit's power unchallenged
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, March 1 — Nirmaljit Singh, an international powerlifter of Chandigarh, who day before yesterday, retained the title at the National Masters Powerlifting Meet, has emerged as the undisputed powerlifting champion in this part of India.

Nirmaljit, who took to powerlifting in 1977 at the age of 21, remained a national champion in the dead lift event from 1979 to 1985. He used to represent Punjab in national meets then as the Chandigarh Powerlifting Association came into existence in 1987 only.

In the past few years, Nirmaljit Singh, who regularly practices at Bon Sante in Sector 17, has won various dead lift, squat and bench press contests at the National Masters Meets in the 110-kg class.

Past year, in the National Masters Powerlifting Meet at Ranigunj (West Bengal), he won three gold and one silver medals in the 110-kg class of the above-40 age group. At the Senior National Championship in 1999, he won a bronze medal.

Nirmaljit Singh, a businessman otherwise, said city juniors were shaping up well, but, more national-level tournaments should be conducted in this region to promote the sport. This 44-year-old interanational lifter never misses any national meet despite youngsters giving him tough competition. He follows a normal diet schedule.

14 kabaddi teams for Khed Mela
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, March 1 — As many as 14 international-level kabaddi teams, including six women's teams, have confirmed their entries for the Khed Mela to be organised by the Sher-e-Punjab Sports Club of Zirakpur on March 3 here.

According to Mr Jaspal Singh, Chairman of the club, eight men's teams have sent their entries, besides two women's teams of Haryana, three of Punjab and one of Chandigarh. Entries of local teams will be accepted on the day the tournament begins.

The club had made elaborate arrangements for the tournament, Mr Jaspal said. All the teams would be given cash prizes. The winning team would get a cash prize of Rs 51,000 and the runners-up Rs 31,000, he said.

Teams which have confirmed their entries include Sher-e-Punjab Sports Academy of Jalandhar, Harjeet Club, Bajakhana, Moga, Harjeet Club, Moga City, Tony Club, Samrala, the Punjab State Electricity Board, the Punjab State Mandi Board, the USA Sports Club of Kapurthala and Haryana State Sports Club.

The women's teams would be from Kurukeshetra, Ambala, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Banga and Chandigarh.

UT baseball trials
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, March 1 — The Baseball Association of Chandigarh will hold trials to select men and women probables for a coaching camp for the 14th Senior National Baseball Championship to be held from March 13 to 17 in Chandigarh.

The trials will be held at the Panjab University grounds here on March 5 at 10 am. This was said in a press note issued here today by Mr Tilak Raj Kaila, Secretary of the association.

ADMINISTRATION

APS celebrates anniversary
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 1 — The Army Postal Service (APS) of the Western Command celebrated its 28th anniversary in Chandi Mandir cantonment near here today.

Wreaths were laid by Brig T S Thakur, head of the APS, at Veer Smriti to pay homage to the brave jawans who laid down their lives while defending the motherland. A get-together was held for the officers of the Command Headquarters which was attended by Maj Gen P. Vij, Major General (in charge), Administration.

A bara khana was held for retired as well as serving officers. A sports meet was also organised for the personnel on the occasion.

Lt Gen M S Bhullar, Quartermaster General and Colonel Commandant, APS, and Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, GOC- in-C, Western Command, felicitated all ranks of the APS and called upon them to work with the true spirit of the corps motto, “ Mail Milap.”

The most important contribution of the APS in the life of the jawan is to bring cheers from his near and dear ones whether he is posted in the snowcapped Himalayas, dense forests of the North-east or the deserts of western India. APS provides postal cover not only to the Army but also the Air Force, Border Roads Organisation, Rashtriya Rifles and other paramilitary forces like the BSF, CRPF and the Assam Rifles.

The corps took active part in Operation Vijay by boosting the morale of the troops who fought against the enemy valiantly in inhospitable terrain and adverse conditions. As a tribute to the Kargil heroes, a civil post office complex was opened in the Western Command Hospital in December.

As a part of its programme to modernise various operations, the APS has already computerised all savings accounts, postal life insurance and transmission of telegrams to field post offices. The latest addition is the setting up of a V-SAT station at both 56 APO and 99 APO and the ESMO station at Jalandhar for speedy transmission of money orders from the troops.

Brig Thakur pointed out that the saving bank facility provided by them is very popular. Last year 9556 accounts were opened by personnel in the western sector alone. As many as 2,645 postal life insurance policies, amounting to Rs 21 crore, were taken out. More than 1.87 lakh money orders worth Rs 29 crore were transmitted through the V-SAT station at 56 APO last year.

Sound system body’s appeal to UT
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 1 — The Chandigarh DJS Sound System Association has urged the Chandigarh Administ-ration to streamline the implementation of orders on use of loudspeakers and DJS Systems so as to save its members from unnecessary harassment by the police.

In a memorandum submitted to the Administrator and other senior functionaries of the Administration, the association maintained that in recent months restrictions have been imposed on the use of the loudspeakers, amplifiers and other sound emitting instruments by invoking the provisions of the Punjab Instruments (Control of Noise) Act, 1956.

According to the instructions, no loudspeaker or amplifier is allowed to be used anytime without the permission. Permission is granted only upto 10 p.m. These instructions were being strictly enforced since November,1999. According to Mr M.M. Jolly, President of the association, the police had been cracking down on the singers, performers, disc jockeys and on those who hire out sound system. This action of the police was unjustified, he said, maintaining that the onus of seeking permission lies on the organiser or the person hosting the function.

The association further maintained that the police had been confiscating costly equipment of the DJS System operators, sound system suppliers and others and then there was no guarantee of the safe return of the equipment in accordance with a time schedule. As a result, members of the Association are made to suffer for no fault of theirs.

On the other hand, the association maintained that there was a different set of rules as and when the Administration or VIPs organise such shows. The onus of causing noise pollution should lie with the organiser and not the suppliers of sound systems.

Further, the Association also wanted that the permission time should be extended beyond 10 p.m.