HEALTH

17 operated upon at eye camp
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Feb 25—Seventeen patients with eye problems were operated upon at a two-day camp organised in Sanatan Dharm Temple in Sector 19 by the Chandigarh Lions Club and about 300 patients were examined on the concluding, day here today.

The surgeons, Dr Charanjit Singh and Dr Ravinder Singh, carried out check-up at the camp. The chief guest, Mr K.P. Singh, district president of the Haryana Vikas Party donated Rs 2,100.

The president of the club, Mr Bhaskar Arya, said that medicines and spectacles would be provided free of cost to patients and that the club spent nearly 70 per cent of its funds on holding eye camps, providing treatment and carrying out operations.

At another camp for the deaf and dumb in Raipur Rani, 378 persons were examined by a team of doctors from the PGI led by Dr N. Pandey. While 50 patients were checked for audiometry, 25 patients were given speech therapy.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Monga, the City Magistrate, Mr H.C. Sharma, and the District Health Officer, Dr Vijay Garg, also visited the camp. 

SPORT

Judoka turns boxing judge
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Feb 25 — Sonia Kanwar, a national-level judo player, has become a qualified boxing judge. She was declared as a qualified judge to officiate at the national and other tournaments of this nature. She said that with hosting of the Ist National Women Boxing Championship at Chennai last month, the women boxers see a bright future.

Ms Sonia informed that she was the only women judge out of the six northern states who has passed this test. The IABF has also invited Ms Sonia for the training course for the women judges to be held in April next. Sonia told that in judo she had represented India in the Asia Cup and won the All-India Inter -university Judo Meet and was playing this sport for the past eight years. 

Connect XI wins
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 25—Connect XI outplayed WWICS XI in the final of the Inter-Corporate Cricket Tournament played here today at the Panjab University cricket ground today. Brief scores: WWICS — 82 all out (Bajwa 30, Satbir 4 for 33, Manan 3 for 18); Connect: Anurag Mohindra 50 n.o.) Anurag was declared as the man of the match.

Cricket tourney
Kalsi X outplayed Gallant XI by 102 runs, BCC XI beat 3 BRD XI by six wickets, Indo Dutch XI outscored DCC XI by five wickets while Kelvinator XI got the better of Eagle XI by 105 runs in the Arjun Das memorial Cricket tournament organised by Panther club here today.

ADMINISTRATION

Crises ahead for SAS Nagar MC?
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Feb 25 — One of the richest civic bodies in Punjab, the SAS Nagar Municipal Council, appears to be heading towards a financial crisis if the income of the civic body in the current financial year is any indication. A shortfall of at least 20 per cent in the projected income was expected to cause a loss of over Rs 4 crore to the civic body.

Against a projected income of Rs 19.10 crore in the budget for 2000-2001, the civic body had earned Rs 15.10 crore so far. The fallout of the loss in income can be gauged from the budget for 2001-2002 — passed in a recent meeting of the civic body — which has proposed a total income of Rs 20.05 crore against an expenditure of Rs 21.21 crore.

Plans of the civic body to generate funds by imposing commercial tax have been rejected by the Local Government Department. The civic body had planned to earn over Rs 2 crore by imposing tax at a rate of 10 per cent of the rental value of the property concerned.

Sources in the civic body said the fall in the income was mainly due to failure to check pilferage of fee in the octroi and the enforcement branch. A number of unauthorised vendors were running their business without paying any fee to the civic body. Under the octroi fee head, against a projected income of Rs 16.40 crore, the council expected to earn Rs 14.33 crore by the end of the current financial year. In the enforcement section, an income of Rs 11 lakh was expected to be earned against a projected income of Rs 12 lakh.

The civic body was to lose around Rs 77 lakh on account of excise duty on liquor. The amount was to be paid by the state government to the civic body. Under the head of income from water supply in industrial area, a revenue of Rs 35 lakh was expected against an income of Rs 45 lakh. The only saving grace for the civic body has been revenue from electricity duty. Against a projected income of Rs 60 lakh, the council expected to earn Rs 80 lakh.