IMA urged to clarify stance
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 30
The National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), has criticised the statement issued by the Punjab unit of the IMA to curb quackery.

Questioning the IMA on this issue, Dr Satinder Kakar, former state president of NIMA said,” Leaving aside the integrated graduates, who governs the right to practise allopathic medicines for dental and veterinary graduates”. He further added that the Rule 2-ee of the D&C Act laid down provision for the same.

Dr Kakar reiterated that the Supreme Court had also given a verdict in favour of all practitioners, including integrated medical degree holders, to practice the modern system of medicine. The notifications which were issued to provide right to practice modern medicine vide Rule 2-ee (iii) of the D&C Act and rules, were in fact, validated by the court.

Terming the IMA tactics as “ridiculous,” Dr Rajesh Thapar, president of the local unit, also doubted the integrity of the IMA in curbing quackery in its real sense and said it appeared that IMA officials were “more interested in eliminating integrated graduates than the unqualified unregistered practitioners.”

Quoting the Jagraon incident of mass blinding at recent eye camps, Dr Surinder Gupta, secretary of the unit, said the IMA must clear its stance and confirm whether it recognised such acts as quackery or not? Whom shall the IMA accuse for the blinding of poor patients? Was this not another incident of irresponsible medical practice in which even allopathic practitioners, who might also be belonging to the IMA, were involved?, he questioned.

Dr Gupta also pointed out that when IMA members themselves were flouting various IMC directives like self-advertisements in newspapers, how could they be sincere in providing honest and cheap medical assistance to the ailing community ?

At the same time, Dr Sarjeewan Sharma, spokesperson of the local unit, Dr Navneet Saggar, former state secretary of NIMA, and Dr Ranbir Singh, CME, convenor of NIMA, had offered all assistance to the IMA if it genuinely wanted to eliminate quackery from the state and requested the state government not to get misled from vague statements of the IMA and ensure to safeguard the rights of integrated degree holders.

Sahodaya schools skating meet
Out Sports Reporter

Some of the winners of Sahodaya skating championship (from left) Roopam Dhillon and Gurasispal Singh from GNIP School, Aishwarya of KVM and Dalip Singh, GNP School, in Ludhiana on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

Snooker titles for Dhruv, Dharminder
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 30
Top seeded Dhruv Verma of Ludhiana remained unconquered in the league matches to win the title (junior section) of the Punjab State Snooker Championship which concluded at Sutlej Club here on Friday.

Dhruv, a B.Com final year student of local Arya College, recorded victories during this four-day meet without losing any frame to his opponents. On his way to the title winning performance, Dhruv beat Vaibhav Sood, Rajat Kaura and Rajeev Kumar to set up the title clash with Vicky Vig, also of Ludhiana, unlike Dhruv made his way to the final after overcoming stiff resistance put up by his rivals.

In the final, Dhruv made things difficult for Vicky whom he drubbed in straight sets ( 60-23, 54-45 and 91-14 to bag the title. For the third spot, Rajeev Kumar beat Rajat Kaura 70-29, 69-22 and 79-34.

In the senior section, Dharminder Lilly of Jalandhar, by keeping his slate clean won all his league matches to finish on top. Dharminder had to toil hard in the both semifinal. In the first encounter, Lilly scraped past Dhruv Verma by five frames to two (32-75, 67-44, 61-33, 21-90, 89-27, 97-16 and 94-18).

In the second semifinal, Dharminder survived anxious moments against Aashish Dhanda of Ludhiana before romping home victorious 5-2. The final score-sheet read 47-74, 91-30, 37-66, 65-30, 73-51, 61-46 and 125-2 (with 79 break).

On the basis of their performance, Dhruv Verma and Vicky Vig in the junior section while Dharminder Lilly and Aashish Dhanda in the senior category have been picked up to represent Punjab in the forthcoming National Snooker Championship scheduled to be held next month at Bangalore.

ADMINISTRATION

MC to get tough with dairy owners
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 30
Under immense pressure from thousands of affected residents in various localities in the city, the Municipal Corporation has decided to get tough with the dairy owners. A team has been set up in Zone B to mount pressure on dairy owners to shift their business out of residential areas.

Despite the MC having issued notification under Section 343 (1) (c) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, which was published in the Punjab Government Gazette on October 23, 2001, around 500 dairy units were still functional in colonies like Guru Arjan Dev Nagar, Jagdish Pura, Kailash Nagar, Subhash Nagar, Salem Tabri, Issa Nagri, Chander Nagar, New Chander Nagar and Asha Puri. Consequently, the residents in these localities continue to suffer at the hands of dairy owners with thousands of cattle causing complete breakdown of civic services in these areas and making the life of the people miserable.

According to MC sources, in the face of adamant attitude adopted by dairy owners, who were holding a sizeable city population to ransom, a team, comprising the Municipal Health Officer, the Chief Sanitary Inspector and officials of Tehbazari and licence branches has been set up to give effect to the MC orders, declaring these localities as ‘no cattle zones’. The team, which is expected to become functional within next couple of days, will be provided adequate security and will have the power to issue challans and impound cattle for violation of the orders.

The civic administration has accorded priority to the issue following a complaint by a resident of Guru Arjun Dev Nagar, Mr Raghbir Singh, before the Punjab Human Rights Commission (PHRC), seeking a direction to the MC for immediate shifting of dairies from residential areas in the city. The petition was pending before the PHRC and would come up for hearing on January 30.According to sources, the MC Law Officer had, more than once, impressed upon the civic administration to take immediate measures for shifting of dairies so that status report could be filed before the PHRC before the next hearing.

Although the MC administration had earmarked a piece of land in Jamalpur area for development of a dairy complex, but no headway had apparently been made for development of the site and provide basic facilities, needed for the dairy units. Sources maintained this might prove to be a big hurdle in the way of making the dairies shift to this place. On the other hand, officials maintained that development of the dairy complex would be taken up only when the dairy owners applied for allotment of plots there and paid some part of the total cost of plots.

In the prevailing situation, thousands of affected residents were keeping their fingers crossed and waiting to find out as to what the future has in store for them.