The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

New OPD block yet to get full quota of power
By Poonam Batth
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 23 — It is still not operational. Three months beyond schedule, the lifeline providing electricity to the new out patients block at the PGI is not functioning “to full capacity”.

The authorities blame the Engineering Department officials here for not sanctioning “the required quota of 1400 kilowatt for airconditioning and other medical equipment”. The officials, however, claim that the money for the purpose has just been deposited and process of supplying additional load has already started.

Sources in PGI reveal that so far only 400 kw electricity has been sanctioned as against the required load of 1400 kw. The Engineering Department had promised to give this additional load through a cable from the secretariat by May 31 since the existing transformers in PGI are already overloaded and not able to meet the growing requirement. A senior official pointed out that the load was approved almost two years back, but the authorities have not made much headway since then.

Dr S.K Sharma, Director, PGI when contacted, said: “We have already deposited Rs 22 lakh for getting this additional load so that ACs in the new block are fully functional before it is opened to general public. It is also required for general lighting, functioning of the heavy medical equipment, lifts, air cooling etc.” Besides the OPD, PGI will need additional sources of electricity for its new centres, which will be coming up shortly.

These include the Advanced Cardiac Centre, Advance Ophthalmology Centre, Bone Marrow Centre, Trauma Centre and the second phase of the Advanced Pediatric Centre, said Dr Sharma. The power requirement for these projects may go up to 5000 kw and the concerned authorities should do the needful. He further dislosed that delay in making the OPD operational is also partly on account of the delay in procuring the furniture and file compactor for this block. However, he is hopeful that the block will be inaugurated by June end.

Mr J.N. Sachdeva ( Electricity Operations), when contacted, said: “One year back they had written to the PGI authorities that the load on the existing transformers has exceeded their capacity and they need to have a 66 kv sub station of their own.” But they have not deposited any money with the PSEB for doing so. However, to meet the immediate requirement for the new OPD we have decided to give them the required load from a transformer in the secretariat through the cable. However, eventually they have to atleast go in for a transformer in the existing sub station at PGI to meet their growing requirement.

The authorities continue to pass the buck. But the martyr is the general public, which continues to sweat it out in the overcrowded OPDs of the Nehru Hospital. The Rs 9 crore building is lying ready for use but delays in procuring the required electricity and furniture make it difficult for the authorities to shift out.

SPORT

CLTA coach lays out plans for trainees
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 23 — "I will introduce the showing of video clippings of top tennis players, showing their strong points and big wins, to young players soon," said Wing Commander (retd) Beant Singh, who took over as chief coach of Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Academy, Sector 10, a for night back.

Beant Singh did his NIS course in tennis in 1976 and achieved excellence awards from Agra University and Aligarh University. He left the Air Force and joined the CLTA in 1987. He remained there for four years. He said players like Pankaj, Vikrant and Sahiba Chadha were groomed during his tenure.

He said the responsibility of a coach was to act more as a guardian, friend and mentor, having an affectionate relationship. He added that one needed at least five years to think, plan and monitor the performance of a trainee. The ideal height is more than six feet for boys and players should begin between six and seven years, according to him.

He complimented the CLTA and mentioned the rural scheme, citing the example of Sunil, the current national champion. He praised Mr Rajan Kashyap, CLTA Chairman, for standing behind talented youngsters and providing them with exposure.

Regarding his future plan at the CLTA, he said his basic aim would be to work collectively as a team. He praised Tushar Liberhan and Amanjot Singh, who he felt would be the pride of the nation in the near future.

Beant Singh said the trainees were undergoing stroke building and physical conditioning. Yoga was being advocated by trainees. He had six budding trainees in mind, all below 10 years of age, who were shaping up well.

He mentioned another action plan, which would start from June 1. This would include matches between team of the coach and a team. This experiment would be repeated after every fifteen days.

Probables chosen: The Chandigarh Cricket Association has selected probables for the UT under-16 team which will play in the Punjab Inter-district Tournament which will begin on June 15. The final team will be selected on May 30.

The probables are as follows: Barun Sharma, Assem Gupta, Rahul Arora, Vijay, Gauhar Pruthi, Manav, Gaurav Gupta, Sudeep, Vishwash, Karan, Jagmeet, Namit, Prabhbir, Harpreet, Amarjit, Sukhjinder, Rajat, Abhishek, Harpratap, Bhageshwar, Harneet, Jasraj, V.R., Madan Lal, Vipul, Ankur, Sahil, Karamvir, Sidhharth, G. Ohri and Gaurav Johri.

Ball badminton tourney: Boys of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, did well on the second day of the Chandigarh Sub-junior Ball Badminton Tournament for the Santosh Kumar Rana Trophy being played here at Shivalik Public School, Sector 41.

The school beat Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 38, 29-20, 25-29, 29-23. GMSSS-19 topped the pool 'A' with six points, while GSSS-38 came second with four points.

In the girls' section, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 21 did well in pool 'A'. Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, and Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, performed well in Pool 'B' and entered the semi-finals of this section.

ADMINISTRATION

Licensing, registration procedures to change
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 23 — Several changes are in the offing once the new system for making driving licences and registration of vehicles commences in the coming weeks. The first will be a new scheme of the Chandigarh Administration to charge Rs 10 from each applicant, that will go to Red Cross and will be exclusively used to pay salaries of the additional staff that is required to man the new counters.

The applicants will also be asked to pay approximately Rs 70 for the futuristic smart card. This system of charging for the card has been taken from neighbouring states, where the authorities charge Rs 100 to make a card, though simple plastic cards and not smart cards are issued in the neighbouring states. The exact sum that will be charged for the smart cards is yet to be fixed, but it is expected to be between Rs 70 and Rs 75.

Explaining the need for a charge of Rs 10 that will go to the Red Cross to fund the salaries of the staff, Mr M. Ramsekhar, the Deputy Commissioner, says, ‘’ The requirement of the number of counters will be much more when the new system starts. Thus, more people had to be employed . The Government of India does not permit the creation of new posts in the DC office. A surcharge is the only way of employing more people to work and reduce the waiting time of applicants. Moreover, the sum collected from the applicants will be barely enough to meet the salary part of the contract staff .’’

The staff of the licensing branch is undergoing training with officials of Tata Infotech, that has been awarded the contract to provide smart cards and other services, including computer software and other programmes. At present, the computer links and the data entries are being checked. The entire licensing branch will also shift to the new building adjacent to the Municipal Corporation building. The new building has been air cooled and had user-friendly counters.

The setting up of the new system of registration and licensing has been delayed due to various reasons. The Administration had expected to start the system by March but things were delayed.

Garbage menace in town
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, May 23 — The Panchkula Residents Welfare Federation has urged the Haryana Urban Development Authority to look into the problem of the disposal of garbage and find a solution before the rains.

In a letter to the administrator, the General Secretary of the association, Mr Subhash Papneja, has said that to help in beautifying the town, welfare organisations have engaged private rehriwalas in each sector for the collection of garbage. This garbage is dumped in the dustbins put up by HUDA which remain uncleared for several days, leading to unhygienic conditions.

The dumping ground was shifted to an area near the Ghaggar earmarked by the administration. For the past few months, dumping at this area was prohibited, which led the rehriwalas back to the dustbins.

The association has urged HUDA to place these dustbins at isolated places and clear these at regular intervals till an alternative site for dumping garbage is not earmarked by the authorities.

100 encroachments removed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 23 — As many as 100 illegal encroachments in Sector 30 were demolished by the Enforcement Wing of the Municipal Corporation this morning.

In continuation of its drive against the encroachers, the enforcement squad of the civic body demolished concrete structures, angle iron fencings, barbed hedges, an STD booth and boundary walls from the municipal land adjacent to the berms of the road dividing Sectors 29 and 30.

The drive started around 10 a.m. and continued for around seven hours. An Enforcement Sub-Inspector, Mr Jitendra Pal, a Section Officer, Mr Tarvinder Dhingra, under the supervision of a Subdivisional Officer, Mr Gurinder Singh, were deployed. Besides, 50 personnel of the Chandigarh police and 25 men, two trucks and one bulldozer were put into operation.

Some structures of the concrete structures which were demolihed by the staff in Sector 30-B, Chandigarh on Tuesday morning.

JEs oppose transfers
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, May 23 — The Joint Action Committee of Junior Engineers of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, today, met the Housing and Urban Planning Minister of Punjab, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, in connection with the large-scale transfers of JEs of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). The association told the minister that a number of persons had been disturbed with the needless transfers.

The Convener of the committee, Mr A.S. Randhawa, said the minister had asked for representations of such cases today, before reconsidering the transfer orders. Meanwhile, the Chief Administrator, has in an order, extended the date of relieving the transferred employees from May 22 to May 29.