HEALTH

Rotary gets Gates Award for Global Health
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced that The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has been selected as the recipient of the 2002 Gates Award for Global Health.

Giving this information here today, Mr R.K. Saboo, a former President of Rotary International, said that the award “recognises Rotary’s leadership and impact in the field of public health, most notably the organisation’s top priority to eradicating polio by 2005”.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the Award in the amount of US $1 million to recognise an organisation that has made a major and lasting contribution to the field of global health. The award will be formally presented in Washington, DC, on May 30 at a dinner during the Global Health Council’s 29th annual international conference, Global Health in Times of Crisis. Bill Gates Sr will present the award on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary has contributed over US $462 million toward polio eradication, and over one million Rotary members have volunteered their time and personal resources to help immunise more than 2 billion children in 122 countries. The award not only recognises Rotary’s work to end polio, but also the mobilisation of over a million Rotary members to work in areas of health and sustainable development.

Chandigarh has also seen in the past some of the notable service projects undertaken by the Rotary Clubs here in the fields of health, including the ongoing project of Rs 40 lakh Gift of Life providing free cardiac surgery to children, establishment of a Rs 4 crore Rotary BBS Blood Resource Centre, the building of the Rotary PGI serai, running a pace-makers’ bank, rehabilitation of leprosy patients and providing health care in rural and slum areas by establishing and running dispensaries.

SPORTS

Football bug fails to bite residents
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, May 21
Though only nine days are left for the biggest football extravaganza the ‘2002 World Cup Soccer Meet’ to be held in Japan and Korea, its craze in the city has not caught up so far. Chandigarh, like other parts of the country, has always displayed its madness for cricket and fans, sport-lovers and the general public have never given a serious thought to football or another sport for that matter.

On a visit to the various city markets, barring few posters on the meet of TV companies outside their showrooms, the football fever is hardly ‘raging’. Mr Manmohan Singh Bajwa of the CCN Cable Network with its operations in, Mani Majra, Kharar and Kurali said they were already showing Ten Sports, the official channel for live telecast of World Cup football. He said from next month they would increase their monthly rates by Rs 30, which included enhanced charges for ‘Ten Sport’ and for ‘Sony’ who were also revising their rates. Bajwa said they got a few queries about the World Cup mainly from youths and children.

The Business Manager Siti Cable, Mr Naval Kishore, said talks were on with various cable operators and soon the decision to show the World Cup football would be made.

He said their customers would not face any problem. But he added hardly one to two per cent enquiries have been made for the World Cup. Naval further remarked that West Bengal was the football hub of the country and maximum viewership would probably be in that area only. He said they will have to sign at least one year’s contract with ‘Ten Sports’. The burden will be passed on to the customer for shelling out nearly Rs 15, for which they might face resistance from existing customers.

Surinder Singh ‘Baijee’ of Surindra Radios, Sector 22, said cricket dominated viewers, consciousness. He remarked that nowadays only A.C. refrigerators were in demand, and it was yet to be seen whether TV sales get fillip from the World Cup.

Mr Rajiv Gakhar of Pinky Electronics said, their company, Onida had comeout with various schemes like ‘World Cup to World Cup’ with four years’ guarantee. But it remains to be seen whether it would translate into more sales.

CBA president takes tough stance
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, May 21
The president of the Chandigarh Basketball Association, Col A.S. Judge, has taken a tough stance in order to maintain discipline in the affairs of the association. While briefing newspersons, Col Judge, said nefarious activities of some members have bought a bad name to the association.

Col Judge said it was Mr K.S. Bharti secretary of the association, who has created the confusion by trying to act as general secretary though he was still the secretary of the association.

When asked, why during the past eight years, activities of Mr Bharti could not be checked, Col Judge said, “He had developed total faith in him, but during the last CBA elections in August 2001, he was made aware of the various unwanted activities being undertaken by him thus affecting the growth of the game”.

Col Judge said it was not right for Mr Bharti to issue statements in the press as general secretary. He said even the calendar of activities released by Mr Bharti few days back was fake and never discussed with him.

ADMINISTRATION

3 ahata owners challaned
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 21
A team of food inspectors raided various ahatas in the city and challaned three owners for not having the mandatory licences, here, yesterday. The team also collected samples from the three ahatas, which have been sent to laboratories for analysis.

The Director, Health Services-cum-Food Health Authorities, Chandigarh Administration, said in a release that the liquor vend owners were running more than one ahata. The owners were directed to inform the Director regarding the next responsible person after the licence-holder within a week’s time, failing which all persons found present at the ahatas shall be considered guilty and would be challaned under the PFA Act and other Acts. The ahata owners were also directed to display the licences at a prominent place on the premises open to the public.

Exam dates clash
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21
The date of the National Thermal Power Corporation examination scheduled for June 6 is clashing with the examination for recruitment of Junior Telecom Officer-2002 to be conducted by Bharat Sanchar Nigan Limited. Both examinations are scheduled for the same date and both tests start at 10 am.