The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

First centre for mentally challenged adults in NCR
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, August 30
Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala will lay the foundation stone of an institute for the mentally challenged adult persons during his daylong visit to this town tomorrow.

The proposed institute has been named after Shrawan, the legendary son who was devoted to his blind parents. The institute is said to be the brain child of Mrs Sheila Yadav, chairperson, the Arpan Institute of Mentally Handicapped, and her husband, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav.

Although there are over 600 centres for the mentally retarded children (up to the age of 18 years) in the country, only four cater to the mentally retarded adult persons. These centres are at Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Thus the centre at Rohtak will be the fifth such institute in the country and first in the north India.

The institute will be set up on 1.50 acres, which will be donated to the centre by the Social Welfare Department of the Haryana Government. The project will cost over Rs 50 lakh.

The institute will have hostel facilities for 50 mentally retarded adult persons, 50 per cent of whom will be women. The institute will have a training centre where the inmates will be provided training to make them self-reliant. The Director, Pt. B D Sharma Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), has agreed to provide space in the college building for setting up a sale counter for the products that would be produced by the inmates of Shrawan.

Mr Ashok Yadav said that a seven-member trust would be created to manage the affairs of the Shrawan institute. The trustees will be representatives of the District Red Cross Society and parents of the mentally retarded adult persons.

The administration also proposes to create a corpus fund in which the profits earned from the sale of the articles manufactured by the inmates of Shrawan will be deposited.

The administration also proposes to set up a creche for mentally retarded children of working women in the town. This will perhaps be the only such centre in the country.

SPORTS

Shaik wins C’wealth bowling gold cup
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 30
Delhi’s Shaik Abdul Hameed won the gold cup in the Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship and became the first Indian to win an international bowling title.

Hameed became eligible to compete in international bowling competitions on account of his semi-final rankings in the first two editions of the ColorPlus Championship, India’s top most bowling event, held under the aegis of the Bowling Federation of India. Fifteen countries are competing in the inaugural Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship, which has been officially endorsed by the Commonwealth Games Federation, and medals will be awarded to the winners of the singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team events.

A spectacular matchplay high of 258 in the final sixth game of the men’s singles rocketed Hameed to the gold cup. The 33-year-old Hameed overtook Australia’s Jason Belmonte and England’s Nick Froggatt to take the gold at 1350, ahead of Belmonte, on 1320 and Froggatt just one pin behind on 1319.

Shaik attributed part of his success to experience gained in international competition at the Malaysian Open, and recently at the ABF Championships in Hong Kong. Hameed began his bowling career two years back when he entered the ColorPlus National Bowling Championship. He is all set to take part in the third edition of the National Championship, to be held in Delhi.

FCI down ESIC in DSA soccer
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 30
Former champions Food Corporation of India (North Zone) downed Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) 5-2 in a Senior Division match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) Institutional Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital.

Pushpender scored a fine brace to give FCI a 2-0 lead in the first half. On resumption, ESIC defender Puspender Kundu reduced the margin. Bhupender Singh Rawat enhanced the lead for FCI while Pushpender scored one more goal to further consolidate FCI’s lead (4-1). Then ESIC’s Puspender Kundu scored his as well as his team’s second goal to make the score 2-4. Sanjeev Bhalla completed the tally for FCI.

In an A Division match, IGPCL/BSES trounced Delhi Development Authority 5-0. Ram Singh, Mohd. Aslam (2), Vikram Bhandari and Jagdish Malhotra were the goal-getters.

Zakir Hussain College were held to a goalless draw by Central Secretariat.

Saturday’s fixtures: DTC vs PNB (7.45 am); OBC vs Zakir Hussain College (9 am); BSNL vs Railway Board (2.30 pm)—Ambedkar Stadium.

Arjun Shiv, Rohan Rao display fine form

New Delhi, August 30
An all-round performance by Arjun Shiv (48 abd 2 for 29) and deadly bowling by Rohan Rao (3 for 15) enabled Gyan Bharti South Delhi Cricket Academy defeat Dronacharya Cricket Foundation (DCF) by one run in a Triangular Cricket Series for Under-12 at the Gyan Bharti School ground in Saket.

Scores: Gyan Bharti: 154 all out in 34.2 overs (Arjun Shiv 48, Trigun Das 35, Abhishek Chaudhary 27, Piyush Kumar 3 for 13, Amitashwar 3 for 8). DCF: 153 all out in 35 overs (Sahil Kher 46, Ujas Kumar 31, Rohan Rao 3/15, Shiv Arjun 2 for 29, Prateek Ghosh 2 for 16).

Salwan Boys enter semis

The match between Salwan Boys School, Rajender Nagar and Ravindera Public School in the Under-17 Cricket Tournament to be played on Thursday, could not be held due to rain. The teams were awarded two points each, and Salwan Boys moved into the semi-final for having a better average run rate. The second match between Hanraj Model School, Punjabi Bagh and St. Michael School also could not be played, and the teams got two points each. OSR

ADMINISTRATION

At last, a call centre to lodge commuters’ woes
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 30
The Government of NCT of Delhi on Friday announced the setting up of a call centre for registration of complaints against transport vehicles, including autorickshaws, on 24-hour toll-free telephone number 9604-400400.

The Delhi Transport Minister, Mr Ajay Maken, told mediapersons complaints of misbehaviour, overcharging, refusal to ply, route violation, overloading and emission of excess smoke can be lodged on this number. A complaint will be treated as a challan, he said.

Till such time as adding more lines and staff members at the complaint centre, pre-paid complaint postcards will be available at select filling stations.

A special task force has been constituted by the Department of Transport to attend to these complaints. Above all, complainants will be informed of action taken on their complaints.

The 270-strong enforcement staff, Mr Maken said, would start an intensive drive against errant autorickshaws from September 1. Warning of stringent action, he said autorickshaws would be impounded for violating the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Penalty for committing an offence the first time and a second time will be Rs 100 and Rs 300 respectively. If an offence offence is committed the third time, the penalty will be Rs 300 and the offender will be asked to show cause why his permit should not be suspended.

The minister said autorickshaw drivers would wear the prescribed uniform and identification badge on their dress. They will exhibit the fare chart inside the auto.

All owners or operators of public transport vehicles will also exhibit the hotline number on the chassis near the entry points and inside at a prominent place.

The month of September, the minister said, will be dedicated to “disciplining” the public transport operators. By September 15, a unified timetable for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and private buses is likely to be declared.

“The draft timetable will be announced next week. Objections will be sought and the same will be scrutinised by a committee before it is declared,” Mr Maken told reporters.