The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Health camp for villagers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — Nearly 100 patients were examined at a health check-up camp organised by the Sector 26 branch of Punjab National Bank and the care Health Society at Kishangarh village yesterday.

A team of doctors under Dr R.P. Singh, who is also the general secretary of the society, examined the patients for various primary health problems such as vomitting, headache, joint pain and ENT infections. many patients were found to be suffering from acute gastro, acidity and other water-borne diseases.

Free medicines were distributed. According to Dr R.P. Singh, the objective of organising such camps is to make the patient aware of the diseases and explain to him about the correct dosage of the antibiotics.

A few cases were referred to specialists in the PGI and the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Patients from Kishangarh and other nearby areas visited the camp.

Charter of demands submitted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — The group B,C and D employees union of PGIMER have submitted a charter of demands to the management of the Institute through its executive head and director, Dr S.K Sharma. According to a press note issued here today, the issues include the implementation of the demands accepted under the settlement dated February 5,1997 arrived at and signed between the high power committee of the institute and the union. Other issues are the implementation of the second backlog promotion scheme with effect from Jan 1, 1993, Punjab pay scales to remaining 50 per cent employees, rationalisation of working hours, arrears of over time allowance, removal of pay scale and cadre anomalies, filling of vacant promotional posts, patient-care allowance to Group B employees, construction of more houses and streamlining of medical facilities.

Among other demands are implementation of assured career progression scheme, abolition of contract labour system, regularisation of daily wage, contract and research staff, transport allowance as per AIIMS, grant of pension to the employees retired on or before September 12, 1975 and release of strike wages as per settlement dated February 5, 1997.

SPORT

Varun, Amarpreet win TT titles
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — Varun Kassal in junior boys and Amarpreet Kaur in junior girls section romped home with under-17 titles on the concluding day of the Manav Mangal Open Table Tennis Tournament here today at Sector 23 hall. The men and women singles title went to Vikram Aditya and Shikha Sharma respectively.

Varun of AKSIPS-41 had a tough time against Ramit Singla of Shishu Niketan -22 before winning in five game thriller at 21-18, 14-21, 10-21, 22-20, 21-17. Amarpreet of GMSSS-19 defeated Meenakshi of Jalandhar in five games at 21-18, 11-21, 14-21, 21-16, 21-18.

Vikram Aditya of PSEB was pitted against his colleague Vikas Mahajan in men singles final. Vikram defeated Vikas at 21-17, 21-15, 19-21, 21-13.

The women singles final was a one sided affair with Shikha Sharma defeating Amarpreet Kaur in three games at 21-9, 21-15, 21-5.

The three-day tournament organised by Manav Mangal School evoked a massive response this year as players from Punjab and other places also took part. Ms Shanta Abhilashi, Mayor, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, gave away the prizes.

Results: semi-finals — Boys (junior) — Ramit Singla ( SN-22) b Sajal Kaushal (GMSS-35), 21-14, 21-15, 21-18; Varun Kassal (AKS-41) b Randeep Singh (Patiala) 20-22, 21-9, 21-11.

Girls (junior): Amarpreet b Megha Kassal (AKS-41), 21-11, 21-16, 21-5; Meenakshi b Ruchi Gautam (DAVP-8), 25-23, 15-21, 21-13, 21-13.

Men: Vikas Mahajan b Pankaj Sharma, 18-21, 21-19, 21-18, 21-18; Vikram Aditya b Pardeep Samantha (NIS Patiala), 18-21, 21-15, 24-22, 21-23, 21-16.

Women: Shikha Sharma b Manu, 21-10, 21-13, 21-10; Amarpreet Kaur b Meenakshi, 21-16, 16-21, 20-22, 21-15, 21-16.

Anil wins: On the third day of the YMCA Open Billiards and Snooker Tournament played at YMCA, Sector 11. Sanjay Kaushal went down to Anil Sharma in three pulsating frames at 69-45, 25-55, 29-49.

In another match, Ashish Tuli won from A.Noel in three frames at 77-39, 48-44, 52-39. Michael and Amit defeated their opponents Bahadur at 64-42, 85-25 and BK Arora at 54-45, 56-20 respectively. Vikas Narula had a tough time against RC Sharma before winning at 31-57, 58-42, 68-59.

Cricket tourney: In the first match of the Independence Triangular (under-16) Series at the Sector 4 Satluj Cricket Coaching Centre in Panchkula, Little Flower Convent School, Sector 14, beat Satluj Public school, by 42 runs.

Brief scores: Little Flower Convent School-14 — 184 for 3 (Karandeep Singh 49, Nitish Bhardwaj 51 n.o, Tarun 35 n.o.) Satluj Public School - 142 all out in 25 .4 overs (Jagdeep Singh 41, Karan 16, Arun 15, Karandeep Singh 3 for 13, Akshay 2 for 26).

UT shoots down Sabeeha's hopes
By Arvind Katyal

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — Sabeeha Dhillon, an ace shooter of Chandigarh and winner of the past year's national junior championship at Phillaur (Punjab), has been ignored by the UT Administration for this year's Independence Day award which is to be presented tomorrow. In the meet her score was 396/400, which was a new national record.

The sportsmen who are to be honoured tomorrow include hockey players Inderjit Singh, Sukhbir Singh and coach Jasbir Singh, besides shooter Abhinav Bindra who represents Punjab, but lives in the city.

Mr J.P.S. Sidhu, Joint Director Sports of the UT, said Sabeeha's name had not been recommended for the award by the Chandigarh Rifle Association. He said the shooter herself had not given any representation in this regard. Sabeeha's case is similar to that of Abhinav. Though Abhinav represented Punjab in the national meet, his name was recommended for the honour by the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen (retd) J.F.R. Jacob. Mr Ramsekhar, Director Sports of the UT, was not available for comments.

Sabeeha, a 17-year-old Class XII student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, has also taken part in various international competitions. She is considered India's best bet for a shooting gold medal in the 2001 Afro-Asian Games in Delhi, the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan (Korea), the next commonwealth games, the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 Athens Olympics. She receives coaching from a Hungarian, Lazello Szuvask, in Delhi.

She had also stood second in the seniors' section of the Phillaur national meet behind Anjali Vedpathak. This year, Sabeeha took part in the Invitational Air Weapons Championship in Munich, for which, she had been selected by the National Rifle Association of India.

She also took part in the Plezen International Tournament in Czech Republic in July and the World Cup in Atlanta (USA) from July 17 to 21.

Her first coach, Col J.S. Dhillon, who has also trained Abhinav Bindra, has also not been considered for any award.

On Republic Day also, women hockey players had been honoured and Sabeeha had been ignored.

ADMINISTRATION

Rs 80 crore for four-laning Zirakpur road
From Our Correspondent

ZIRAKPUR, Aug 14 — The Punjab government will spend Rs 80 crore on the four-laning of the Zirakpur-Bhadurgarh road, besides other roads diverging from the traffic light point which fall in the Nagar Panchayat area. The work will be started in October.

This was stated by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Planning and Finance Minister of Punjab, when addressing a public gathering after inaugurating the office of the Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat here today.

He said the Singhpura Bhudda-Shtabgarh-Chhat link road would be widened and repaired to ease the traffic rush from Dera Bassi side towards Patiala. This would not only reduce the road congestion but also cut short the distance to Patiala.

The Zirakpur-Bartana and the Akali Kaur Singh colony-Bhabhat village link roads would be repaired soon, the minister said.

Commenting on the bus stand issue, the Finance Minister said: ‘‘The residents of the area have been asked to submit their opinions on the location of the bus stand.’’ He disclosed that Rs 11.5 crore would be spent on the sewerage and water supply schemes for the Nagar Panchayat area.

The wards would be demarcated after a proper census of the area, he said.

Besides residents of the villages which have been merged to create the Nagar Panchayat, Mr Ashok Kumar Sikka, Administrator of the Nagar Panchayat, Mr S.S. Sidhu, SDM, Dera Bassi, and local leaders were also present.

Trees to prevent encroachments
By Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — To prevent encroachments on the 27 hectares of vacant land on the outer Dakshin Marg in the city, the Chandigarh Administration has entrusted the Forest Department to undertake mass plantation of different varieties of trees.

According to the Deputy Conservator of Forest and the Chief Wildlife Conservator, Mr H.S. Sohal, the idea behind the plantation on the land reserved for commercial activity is to occupy the vacant land. Trees will keep the land green and subsequently, prevent encroachments on this prime land, says Mr Sohal.

As per the official sources, the chances of encroachment on the land developed by the Forest Department are very less. In fact, experience has shown that there has been absolutely no or very little encroachment if the land had been covered with trees.

During 1991-92, poplar trees were planted in Sectors 39 and 40. In 1996, a mixed plantation of silver oak, sheesham, arjun and Australian acacia was carried out in Sectors 41, 42 and 43.

Although this piece of land, in Sectors 44, 45, 48 and 49, is meant for commercial activity, but, no plans have been chalked out for it yet.

According to the Chief Architect, Mr Sarbjit Singh Sandhu, the land would be developed on the lines of Dakshin Marg where a number of institutional buildings have come up in the recent past.

At present, 50 per cent of the work on the plantation of about 30,000 saplings of neem, arjun, silver oak, cassia, gulmohar and alistonia has been completed. To protect the plants from the animals and miscreants, 1.5m deep cattle-proof drenches have been dug up around each plantation.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of this rainy season.

Poll in 4 MC wards on August 29
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Aug 14 — Elections in the four Municipal Council wards, which were cancelled due to technical reasons, will be held on August 29, according to an advance copy of the poll notification received by the SDM here today.

According to the SDM, Mr Jai Pal Singh, prospective candidates in the four reserved ward numbers 1, 14, 17 and 20 would file their poll nominations on August 16. The last date of filing the papers is August 19. Scrutiny of the forms would be done on August 21 and withdrawals on August 22.

Elections to the civic body would be completed on August 31, he added.

The poll in the four wards which are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, was cancelled as the nomination papers of the prospective candidates were not accompanied by a certificate of being a candidate of the SC or BC issued by the DC or the SDM, Civil of the area as required under the Punjab Municipal Elections Rules, 1994.