105 donate blood
Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, December 18
As many as 105 persons donated blood at a camp organised by the Dera Bassi Industrial Association in collaboration with the local unit of Bharat Vikas Parishad, in the memory of Ramesh Kumar Garg, a leading industrialist, here today.

The camp was inaugurated by the SSP, Patiala, Mr A.S. Rai, while, Mr Kewal Garg, a brother of Ramesh Kumar Garg, was the guest of honour. The SSP appreciated the donors and motivated public to donate blood so that more lives could be saved.

SPORTS

DAV ‘B’ team in Shivalik Trophy final
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 18
DAV School ‘B’ team outplayed Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, by 28 runs to enter the final of the Shivalik Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament here today at the Sector 16 cricket stadium.

Brief scores: DAV ‘B’: 115 all out in 19.3 overs (Deepak Saini 39, Gurkeerat 20, Japneet 2 for 21, Raj Angad 2 for 21).

GMSSS-35: 87 all out in 19.1 overs (Sumit Dhiman 28, Puneet Bansal 18, Sandeep Bhattacharya 2 for11, Karanveer 2 for 12, Pritpal 2 for 16).

Taekwondo meet

More than 500 taekwondo players drawn from various parts of the country will be in action in the ninth Male Black Belt, 19th Female and 21st Male Colour Belt National Taekwondo Championship beginning on Friday at the Sector 10 skating rink.

The President of the Taekwondo Association of Chandigarh, Mr Vishnu Sharma, said the players from 30 teams drawn from various colleges, universities and academies would take part in the championship.

Chess trials

The trials to select team for the All-India Civil Services Chess Tournament will be held on December 22 at 10 am at the AG, Punjab, Sector 17, Chandigarh.

According to Mr A.S. Khokhar, those selected will take part in the AlI-India Civil Services Chess Tournament to be held in Patna from January 12, 2004.

St Stephen’s win

St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, today trounced Shishu Niketan Senior Secondary school, Sector 22, by 12-0 in the Kanwar Harbans Lal Memorial Football tournament which began here today at the Sector 17 Football Stadium.

Organised by the Youngsters Football Club, the five-day meet in the junior section will have the participation of seven teams from city and neighbouring areas.

The meet was inaugurated by Mr Inderjit Sandhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Director (sports), UT. 

Arun Singla shines

Chandigarh, December 18
Arun Singla, a former Haryana Ranji Player representing Central Excise and Customs, Chandigarh, who scored unbeaten 31 runs including five sixes, was the star of the winning team in the cricket tie played between Chandigarh-Patiala Zone and Madhya Pradesh Zone. The former won by one run in the two-day North Zone Revenue Sports Meet began here today at the Sector 7 Sports Complex. In another tie, the Delhi Income tax beat Kanpur Excise by 135 runs. The match tie was held at YPS, Patiala.

Various employees of the Department of Income Tax and Customs and Central Excise including few former eminent sportspersons in various disciplines are taking part in the meet. The events are being held both at Chandigarh as well as in Patiala. The events are held in athletics, chess, table tennis, football, badminton and bridge. OC

ADMINISTRATION

5 ASIs to be recruited from SC, OBC quota by Jan 1
Sanjay Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18
The Chandigarh police is preparing to accommodate by January 1, 2004, five SC and Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates of the 1999 recruitment test held for posts of Assistant Sub Inspector from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal.

The selection of the ASIs seems to be the first case of recruitment of SCs and OBCs from outside UT since 1966 and will pave the way for others in other departments and cadres.

The opportunity for the five outsider candidates under the reservation category has been opened by a Supreme Court judgement delivered last month. The process for their selection started today when the Administration asked the police to implement the order of the Supreme Court. The police has gone ahead with the implementation of the court order despite the Administration, in an official letter, saying that the matter had been forwarded to the Centre for a general policy guideline.

Sources told the Chandigarh Tribune that the police would accommodate five outsiders under its reservation quota probably by January 1. The cases of outside candidates of the 1997 and 2002 constables’ recruitment test would follow those of the ASIs.

The Supreme Court gave a decision in the favour of outsiders when one of these five approached the courts on rejection of their candidature in the 1999 recruitment of ASIs.

Meanwhile, the Administration in a letter to the Administrative secretaries, heads of departments, officers, institutions, boards and corporations stating its position on the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The Administration while asking for implementation of the court order in the case of the special leave petition, has also said: “For giving general policy guidelines on the issue, the matter is being referred to the Centre and instructions in this regard will be issued separately in consultation with the Central Government.”

Meanwhile, the police has already done its homework in the case of adjustment of the reserved category candidates from outside UT in the cases of recruitment of constables in 1997 and 2002.

The police has prepared a detailed study as to how the decision of the court would affect their recruitment of constables in 1997 and 2002.

During the survey, police officials have found that at least two Scheduled Caste persons from 1997 batch and 13 from the 2002 batch might face an axe when the Supreme Court judgement is implemented.

Sources said during these recruitment drives, candidates from other states had to make way for the local Scheduled Caste candidates despite having scored higher in the merit list. Now the status of the those rejected would be restored and in such a case local candidates may have to face competition from candidates outside Chandigarh.

Swatanter Kumar is Legal Services Authority head
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 18
The UT Administration, in consultation with the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, here today appointed Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, as the Executive Chairman, State Legal Services Authority, Union Territory.

The appointment comes following the transfer of Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi to Kerala. Beside holding the charge of the post of Executive Chairman, State Legal Services Authority, Union Territory, Chandigarh, he will also act as Chairman, High Court Legal Services Committee, Chandigarh, according to a press note issued by the UT Public Relations Department.

District treasury to go hi-tech
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18
From January 1, onwards, the District Treasury Office, will go hi-tech and be in line with the latest technology of issuing cheques. The Finance Department today decided that the new Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) cheque payment system in lieu of existing bills payment system will be introduced from New Year.

The treasury office will now issue cheques in place of all kinds of bills like salary bills, TA, contingent bills, RD and pension vouchers etc., submitted by the various drawing and disbursing officers (DDO’s), offices and departments.