The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Need for AIDS policy stressed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2
“India requires a basic policy on sex education for children to effectively deal with the growing menace of AIDS”, said Dr David Miller, the United Nations Country Programme Adviser on AIDS.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Dr Miller said that out of 36 million people infected with the HIV more than 10 per cent reside in India. “This means that one out of 10 HIV patients live in this country and in terms of sheer number this is an alarming figure.

There are critical zones where the disease is spreading at a faster pace.” The anti-AIDS programme in Punjab is very effective”, he said.

The country programme adviser said that media had a major role to play in preventing the spread of AIDS.

Though the UN does not actively fund the AIDS control programme in India, it has an active role to play in creating mass awareness.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr G.S. Chahal, Additional Project Director, Punjab State AIDS Control Society, said that the main objectives of the special campaign organised by the society from June 1 to June 15 was to create awareness regarding HIV and AIDS.

Dr Miller launched a special AIDS awareness campaign. He visited medical camps in Gharuan and Morinda. He also released a video on AIDS awareness produced by Dr Chahal.

GMCH works hard for blood society
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2
The Government Medical College Hospital, Department of Microbiology, which has recently received recognition from the Government of India as a voluntary blood testing and surveillance centre for HIV, has got two Elisa readers.

The department will shortly engage itself in the voluntary blood testing and sentinel survey of HIV. Two counsellors have joined it and two technicians will soon be engaged.

The Union Government had made the testing of blood for the Hepatitis C virus compulsory before transfusing blood. Hepatitis C accounts for more than 90 per cent of the non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis. Government Medical College and Hospital is one of the few government institutions in the country to start screening for HCV.

Over the past four years, out of the 18,000 blood donors, 151 had tested positive for HCV.

SPORTS

Fine knock by Puneet, Karan
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 2
Satluj Public School, Panchkula, lifted the Panchkula District Schools Championship Trophy for under-16 by ousting St Xavier’s School, Panchkula, by seven wickets in the final match played here today at the Sector 5 cricket grounds, Panchkula. Puneet Sharma and Karan Sharma were the star performers for their team.

Brief scores: St Xavier’s: 185 runs for seven in 35 overs (Shiva Mehta 42, Sukhwinder Singh 32, Karan Malik 23, Jeffrey Laing 23, Chandan Kohli 2 for 38, and Jasbir Singh 2 for 39). Satluj PS: 188 for three in 31.5 overs (Puneet Sharma 66 n.o., Karan Sharma 58 n.o., Pawan Kumar 27 and Amit Sond 2 for 29).

Swimming meet:
The Chandigarh Swimming Association will hold 14th senior, junior, and sub-junior men and women, boys and girls open swimming championship on June 29 and June 30. According to Mr JP Sharma honorary secretary of the association, the first three position holders will get handsome prizes. Entries close with 168, Sector 15-A, Chandigarh.

Handball meet:
The Maintenance Command and the Training Command surged ahead by defeating their respective opponents, the South Western Air Command and the Air Headquarters, by 22-14 and 35-20 in the Air Force Handball Championship which entered the second day here today at 12 Wing AF.

In the first match played in the morning between the MC and the SWAC, the half time score was 11-8. Scorers for winners were: Jyash 7, Godwin 5, Attri 3, Chouhan 4 and Arjun 2; losers — Anant Rao 5, Uttam 3 and Dey 3.

In the second match played between the TC and the Air HQ, the half time score was in favour of the former at 23-9. Scorers for winners were: Sachin 11, Khan 9, Suraj 6; losers — H Kumar 7, S. Singh 4 and Gopinath 3.

Cricket tourney:
Ludhiana were 15 for no loss in their first innings at the close of the first day’s play in reply to Mohali’s huge total of 255 runs in the PCA Pre-Season Cricket Tournament for the FC Mital Trophy played here today at PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar. Kamal Walia and RP Singh were the top scorers for the Mohali team.

Brief scores: Mohali: Kamal Walia 56, RP Singh 59, Bharat Bhushan 43, Ravi Kumar 38, Harpreet Singh 22, Rakesh Saini 4 for 31,Tarun Kanish 3 for 75 and Gaurav Marwaha 2 for 31). Ludhiana 15 for no loss (Varun Gupta 11n.o. and Jimmy Sharma 2 n.o.).

Swimming meet concludes
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, June 2
The second and final day of the open swimming meet organised by the Chandigarh Swimming Parents Association at the Government Yoga Centre swimming pool in Sector 23, here today, Yadvindra Singh and Harpreet Singh among the boys’ section and Sukhman Ghuman, Himanshi Bakshi among the girls’ section emerged winners.

The other winners of the day included: Gagandeep Singh, Amandeep Singh, Parminder Singh, Kamaladeep Singh, Pankaj Chauhan, Ankit Kalia in the boys’ section, while Prabhjot Kaur, Isha Kalia, Gurnoor Kang were declared in the girls’ setion.

The swimmers took part in 25m, 50m, 100m in butterfly, backstroke events. The two-day meet evoked good response. More than 100 swimmers in various age groups participated.

ADMINISTRATION

RLA to issue international driving licences
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2
The Chandigarh Administration has empowered the Registering and Licensing Authority to issue international driving licences. The applicants would be required to have a valid driving licence, a valid travel ticket, a passport and visa. A fee of Rs 200 would be charged for this purpose which would have to be deposited in the bank under the relevant head of accounts.

The international driving permits will be signed by the competent authority himself and not by any other official.

A regular monthly return of the permits issued by the Registering and Licensing Authority during a month shall be submitted to the Home Secretary, Chandigarh Administration, in the first week of the following month.

Till now international driving licenses in Chandigarh were issued by the Automobile Association of India.

Haryana small savings winners announced
Our Correspondent

Panchkula, June 2
The Haryana Small Savings Department held a draw of the ‘‘Haryana New Millennium Small Savings Prizes Scheme’’ for the investments made under various schemes between October 1, 2000 and March 31, 2001, in Sector 6, here today.

Prof Sampat Singh, Finance Minister, Haryana, declared winners through a draw of lots. The draw was conducted in the presence of the investors and the winners were announced on the coupons issued to them. Under the scheme a total of 7,979 prizes worth over Rs 1 crore were distributed among the investors.

The first prize worth Rs 2 lakh was won by an investor from Fatehabad and his coupon number was 27,17,798. Three second prizes worth Rs 1 lakh each were given to the investors two from Ambala and one from Bhiwani, against their coupon numbers 3157720, 3182329 and 2965870, respectively.

Similarly, five third prizes, the first of which was won by an investor from Jind against coupon number 2440387, the second and fourth went to a coupon (1324983 and 1277490) holders from Sonepat, the third prize was claimed by an investor from Ambala, against coupon number 3178790 and the fifth was won by an investor from Rohtak (coupon number 154809).

Prof Sampat Singh said the department had far exceeded the last years target by Rs 3.46 crore. Against the last year net collection of Rs 1114.46 crore, the department hopes to achieve a target of Rs 1,222 crore in the current financial year.

He appreciated Mrs Jyoti Arora, Deputy Commissioner, for the excellent contribution in achieving the targets in Panchkula and Kuruksehtra districts. He said Faridabad district had achieved maximum savings target at 138.85 per cent, Panchkula came second with 131.44 per cent and Kuruksehtra was third with 119.76 per cent.

While talking to the mediapersons, he said the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, would support the demands of the people of north western Uttar Pradesh for formation of separate states as these could be better managed and function more efficiently. He further said Haryana would not leave its claim on Chandigarh at any cost which would continue to be the capital of the state. As for the other upcoming cities such as Panchkula and Gurgaon as well as other district headquarters, he emphasised that these would be developed and beautified independently.

The Special Secretary Finance and Director Small Savings, Mr Y.S. Malik, gave a detailed report of the working and achievements of the department and added that various steps had been taken for bringing about further improvements.

Those who were present on the occasion include Ms Jyoti Arora, Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Goyal, ADC, Mr U.S. Sohal, SDM, Mr Rajesh Jogpal, DDPO, and other senior district officers.

Anti-encroachment drive continues
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2
The Municipal Corporation has once again targeted the encroachments in the residential area in Sector 15-A as part of the ongoing encroachments drive. The staff of the enforcement wing and roads wing removed encroachments in the form of hedges, iron fences, fancy grills, low walls etc from outside 200 houses.

The drive met with some resistance from the residents who are not happy about the corporation’s decisions. They are even removing some of those concrete structures like ramps, which are well within the 6 ft limit specified by them. A few of them were perturbed over the demolition of their drive ways.

The officials, when contacted, said that they had demarcated the encroached areas and informed the residents well in advance. The drive which started at 9 am finished at 3 pm. A JCB bulldozer, trucks, beldars and a police personnel were used in the operation. Some encroached material was seized.