The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

SPORT

Sub-junior basketball tourney begins
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — The UT sub-junior basketball championship for under 13 section in boys and girls began here today at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 where children in the age group lined up well before the match for this three-day tournament organised by the Chandigarh Basketball Association.

In opening boys match, DAV Club, Sector 8, outplayed St Xavier’s Club.

In opening girls match, Government Model School Club-26 whipped Carmel Convent School by 32-3. Half time score was 22-1. Navneet of GMSSS-26 was the highest with 14 points while Sakun scored 10 points.

Britannia Tigers Trophy: Budha Dal Cricket Academy (BDCA) registered convincing 103 run win over Star Eleven in the Patiala District (under-16) Cricket Tournament league match for the Britannia Tigers trophy played at the Dhruv Pandove stadium here today.

Opting to bat, BDCA amassed 195 runs in the allotted 30 overs, with the main contributors being Gagandeep Singh [65] and Daljeet Singh [44].

For Star Eleven medium pacer, Harpreet Singh, and left arm spinner Piyush Jund bowled at a nagging line and length to finish with three wickets apiece. In reply, Star Eleven were 92 for 7 when their full quota of overs finished.

Brief scores: BDCA academy: 195 all out in 30 overs [Gagandeep Singh 65, Daljeet Singh 45, Vikrant Makkar 21, Arshdeep Kaler 11, Piyush Jund 3 for 42, Harpreet 3 for 25, Ravneet 1 for 31, Ramanpreet 1 for 36].

Star Eleven: 92 for 7 in 30 overs [Harpreet 19 n.o, Prince 14, Arshdeep Kaler 2 for 22, John Rose 2 for 12, Sukhdeep Singh 2 for 10, Vikrant Makkar 1 for 12].

Top priority to sanitation, water in rural schools
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — For drinking water supply, sullage drainage and school sanitation, powers will be decentralised to gram panchayats. This was stated by the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Punjab, Mr Nirmal Singh Kahlon. Mr Kahlon was speaking at a Government of India and UNICEF-sponsored workshop on rural water and sanitation in Punjab here today.

Mr Kahlon said that this would enable the gram panchayats, in association with the state governments, to provide better facilities to the rural people. He announced that the sector reforms programmes, currently being implemented in Moga and Bathinda, will be extended to other districts as well. He also informed the delegates that the Punjab government will send groups of sarpanches to other states for experience sharing in related services.

The Punjab Minister also highlighted the fact that 70 % of the state is facing difficulty on account of non-availability of drinking water, of desired quality as well as quantity. “There are vital linkages between safe drinking water, sanitation, education, nutrition, personal hygiene for health,” he added.

About 100 delegates from all over Punjab are attending this two-day workshop. These include officers of the PWD Public Health and Education Department, village sarpanches and the chairpersons of the village level water users committees.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Chetna Kohli, a representative from UNICEF, informed the delegates that the Government of India and the United Nations have adopted a resolution terming safe water supply and sanitation as basic rights of children.

“Presently 80 % of our government schools are without urinals. Adequate toilet facilities are a child’s right and an equity issue. For the girl student, it is also an issue of privacy, dignity and security,” she added.

Mrs Kohli was of the view that adequate toilet facilities will increase the attendance rate of the girl students,. “Enhanced health and nutrition status is directly co-related to active learning capacity of a child.’

Mr R.S. Sandhu, Secretary, Education Department, said that Rs 3700 crore were required to remove the deficiencies of primary schools. “Many innovative schemes are being framed for raising resources. In the year 1999-2000, Rs 15 crore were netted through the liquor cess. This was uniformly distributed for improvement in 117 assembly constituencies,” he added.

Mr Jatinder Singh, Chief Engineer of the Public Health Department, talked about a novel experiment in Amritsar in which 20 school tanks were constructed through public participation.

The department is preparing a UNICEF-aided project where 20% of the contribution will be made by the public. The remaining amount will be shared by the Punjab Government and the UNICEF.

Mr Joginder Singh said that as on April,1, this year, state has to provide water supply in 1426 villages besides upgrading the existing facilities in 2660 villages. “At the present funding pattern of approximately Rs 40 crore per annum, it will take about 10 years for complete coverage. To ensure coverage till 2004, the allocations made by the Central and the state governments should be enhanced to Rs 50 crore per annum. Alternatively, funds can also be arranged from NABARD.” he said.

Firemen’s selection stopped
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, July 27 — Hundreds of applicants for posts of fireman faced frustration and disappointment when the recruitment by the local Municipal Council came to a halt today following directions from the Directorate of Local Government.

The recruitment had been going on since July 24 and was to continue till July 31 for 30 posts of fireman and one of driver of the municipal fire brigade when the directorate issued instructions, stopping the process till further orders. No reason was given for the orders. Nearly, 8,600 persons had applied for the posts.

Mr Jai Pal Singh, Administrator of the council, said about 4,000 applications had been rejected earlier as these were incomplete. The rest of the applicants were called for interviews.

The candidates were required to pass a physical test before appearing for the interview. A large number of applicants failed to clear the physical test.

On the first day (Monday), nearly 525 applicants were called, but 425 of them were rejected as they failed to qualify the physical test. Rest of them were interviewed. The figures for the second and third day were 500 and 700 out of which 350 and 500 were rejected, respectively.

Although the minimum educational qualification was matriculation, many applicants possessed the MA and MSc degrees.

It is reported that a large number of candidates had come with “recommendations” from influential politicians, officers, municipal employees and others.

The posts of fireman were sanctioned in 1996 and the process had at last reached the recruitment stage which again, thanks to politicians and bureaucrats, has come to a halt.

Encroachments removed
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — In a major anti-encroachment operation, enforcement staff removed encroachments from the Sector 34, 30 and 20-C markets here today.

A team led by Mr H.S. Sohal, Nodal Officer for anti-encroachment operations, and Mr Ashwani Kumar, Secretary of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), removed two illegal taxi stands each from Sectors 20 and 30. Over 30 illegal structures erected by the squatters were also demolished in Sector 34.

Besides this, four truckloads of goods lying in the corridors of the Sector 20-C market were also removed.

Tension prevailed as the shopkeepers resisted the removal of their goods. While two trucks loads were taken away by the enforcement staff, the other two trucks loads could not be taken away in the wake of strong resistance from the shopkeepers.

The police under the supervision of Mr Vijaypal Singh, DSP, was rushed to the spot as the shopkeepers resorted the traffic blockade for over half-an-hour. The traffic could be resumed only after their goods were returned.