HEALTH

Orientation workshop at PGI opens
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Sept 11 — The first-ever orientation workshop for the training of master trainers on disability prevention and rehabilitation was inaugurated at the Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, here today.

Prof Raj Bhadur, Head of the Department, highlighted the aims and objectives of the workshop and gave reference to the People with Disability Act, 1995. He said that now it was the responsibility of all the respective state governments to provide adequate facilities to the disabled persons.

He pledged that the responsibility put on his shoulders to act as the nodal officers was quite important and he would put all the efforts to come up to the expectations. He highlighted the causes of disability and its prevention. He narrated the various levels of prevention and their applicability to the disabled persons.

The workshop was inaugurated by the Adviser to the UT Administrator, Ms Vineeta Rai. In her inaugural address, Ms Rai appreciated the steps being taken for the welfare of the disabled persons. She congratulated Prof Bhadur for taking the lead in the country by organising such a workshop.

Dr H.C. Goyal from New Delhi, mentioned that 10 per cent of the world population was disabled and most of them i.e. 13.8 per 1000 were due to locomotor disability, including orthopaedic causes followed by visual and hearing disability which accounted for 6.6 per 1000.

Dr S.K Verma, former Head, PMR, AIIMS, said the approaches for rehabilitation could be institutional-based camps and mobile units but the most effective was the community based approach.

Earlier, Prof V.K Kak, Director-Principal of the college, welcomed the guests. He said the rehabilitation of the disabled persons was a welcome decision of the Central Government. He said the country presently lacked the appropriate experts so the allied specialties like orthopaedics had to take up this responsibility.

SPORT

CBA selects UT badminton team
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 11 — The Chandigarh Badminton Association today selected the UT team for the North Zone Inter-State Championships to be held in Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on New Delhi, from September 15 to 17. The meeting of the Selection Committee of the CBA was held today, which was headed by Mr B.D. Gandhi, its Chairman. He said players had been selected on the basis of their performances in the recently concluded Chandigarh State Championships. The UT players will participate in the following meets: men — Rahimtollash Cup; women — Chadha cup; boys (under-19) — Narang Cup and girls (under-19) — Shafi Qureshi Cup.

Surinder Mahajan and Rajiv Tuli will accompany the team as coaches.

The teams are as follows: (men) — Vivek Sharma Ashish Sharma, Amit Sachdeva, Deepak Sidhu, Varun Sharma and Naresh Kundu; women — Geeta Goel (FCI), Sarda Devi, Mala Gaba and Isha Sharma; boys — Vivek Sharma, Deepak Sidhu, Varun Sharma and Naresh Kundu; girls — Mala Gaba, Isha Sharma, Parnita Verma (reserve).

Hockey championship: The Chandigarh State Hockey Championship will be held from September 14 to 16 in the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium, according to Mr Y.P. Vohra, secretary of the association. Those interested may contact Mr N.S. Sodhi, Joint Secretary of the CHA.

Inter-school meet: The UT Education Department will conduct the Pre-Nehru Inter-School Hockey Tournament in the under-15 and under -17 categories for boys and the under-17 categories for girls. The competition, for boys will be held from September 25 to 27 and for girls from September 28 to 30 in the Sector 18 Hockey Stadium. The winners in both sections will be take part in the Nehru Hockey Tournament in New Delhi.

The 7th Nehru Hockey (under-17) Tournament will be held from October 11 to 20, the 29th Nehru Junior Hockey (under-17) Tournament from October 21 to November 2 and the 18th Nehru Sub-Junior Hockey (under-15) Tournament from November 3 to 14.

Powerlifter selected for world meet
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 11 — The international powerlifter, Nirmaljit Singh, of Chandigarh was recently selected to represent India in the World Masters Powerlifting Meet to be held at Prague in Czech Republic from October 17 to 20. Early last month, Nirmaljit Singh cornered glory for Chandigarh by winning a gold medal at the XXVIII Senior Men National Powerlifting Championship held at Bhubaneshwar (Orissa) by lifting a total weight of 732.5 kg ( Squat 292.5 kg, bench press 162.5 kg and dead lift of 277.5 kg). He also won bronze medal in squat and dead lift.

Cricket tourney: The annual Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Cricket Tournament of Street Sports Players for under-14, under-16 and open category will be organised jointly by the Servants of the People society and the Masters Sports Welfare Society from September 23. The players can contact Rajvir Walia at phone 721748.

ADMINISTRATION

No decision on ad bylaws
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 11 — Members of the Finance and Contract Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) today sought more information for the passage of advertisement byelaws. At a meeting here, the members, while seeking clarifications on the total revenue to be collected by the civic body, the types of advertisements and places of the ads, wanted penalty to be imposed on the unauthorised advertisements. The members also wanted that the anti-national, defamatory advertisements and those prejudiced to the fair sex should not be allowed. Now the next meeting will be held on September 20.

Official’s role in poll to be probed
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Sept 11 — The Punjab State Election Commission has directed the District Electoral Officer-cum- Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Ropar, to probe the role of a sanitary inspector in the recently held elections of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council. The directive has come following a complaint by a candidate from Ward No 24 who had alleged that the sanitary inspector, Mr Harinder Pal Singh, had helped his opponent in the elections. The complainant, Mr Amrik Singh Tehsildar, had in a representation to the Election Commissioner stated that the employee of the civic body had helped his opponent, Mr B.S. Chahal, in the elections. The Administrator of the council, Mr J.P. Singh, is reported to be probing into the matter.

Gujral joins as Home Secretary
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 11 — The newly appointed Home Secretary of Chandigarh, Mr Raminder Singh Gujral, a 1976 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, joined duty this afternoon relieving the Municipal Commissioner, Mr M.P. Singh, of the additional charge. Mr Gujral, whose last posting was as Managing Director, Hafed, was abroad when his appointment as Home Secretary was made by the Ministry of Home Affairs last Friday. The appointment comes after his predecessor, Mr N.K. Jain, was removed around four months ago on the charge of corruption.