The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Sharma sees no role for politicians at PGI
A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH: Dr S.K. Sharma, Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, has asked politicians to adopt a “hands-off policy” with regard to country’s premier institutions like the PGI.

In an interview with TNS on the eve of his retirement as Director of the PGI, Dr Sharma said that institutes like the PGI were “centres of excellence” in the country. “They should be left in the hands of the technical persons. There should be absolutely no interference from the politicians in their functioning….”

Dr Sharma said that there were no strikes during his four-year-long stint as the Director. But there were certain unpleasant events. He traced the origin of these troublesome events at the PGI which culminated in his being sent on forced leave for a while before he won a reprieve from the High Court, to politicking and unwarranted interference from people who had little or no stake in the future of the PGI.

“Our bottom line should always be excellence and merit. Our effort should always be to enhance the glory of the institute. Therefore, it was amazing to see some politician or the other on the Board of Directors of the PGI pushing his favourites for appointments and promotions. I was of the view that if somebody tried to do something wrong and unfair, he should be opposed. That became the cause of all the trouble.

“Some disgruntled employees, certain people in the PGI’s administration and a few politicians joined hands to create problems for me. They went to the extent of inviting the CBI to raid a department of the PGI in my absence, little bothering about the damage such a move could do to the institute. And what has come out of the CBI raid so far? Instead of booking the real culprits, the attempt now seems to be to pin the blame on those who were in no way involved in any wrongdoing”.

Dr Sharma emphasised that the government should devise a way of dealing with disgruntled elements which could be found in any institutions and which always tried to disrupt the congenial atmosphere prevailing there.

Dr Sharma said that the PGI’s mandate was to provide high quality care to the patients, carry out need-based research and produce manpower required by the country.

Cancer-detection machine to be inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 23
Dr S.K.Sharma, PGI Director, will inaugurate the city’s first colposcope in the private sector for diagnosing cancer on March 25.

The equipment has been installed by Dr Meenal Kumar at her clinic in Sector 16.

The equipment, not available in general hospitals and dispensaries, can detect crevix inflammation and cancer at an early stage. It also provides proper examination for menopausal and other patients.

She said cancer of the cervix was the most common form of cancer in Indian women and started at a young age but could be treated if detected early.

SPORTS

Railways shooting meet begins
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, March 23
The five-day 38th inter Railway shooting meet involving nearly 80 shooters began here today at the Markfed shooting ranges, Mohali. The meet was inaugurated by Mr Keshav Chander, Division Manager, Railway, Ambala, while other officers from the Railways, including Mr Y.P. Singh, Mr Jaswant Chawla and Mr H.S. Walia, were present on the occasion.

Today the participants had a practice session. The events being held included air rifle 10 metre, 50 metre prone and 50 metre 3 position open sight, 25 metre, air pistol and .177 air rifle circular bull event.

Top women shooters Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande, Anuja Tere will be among those who would vie for top honours. Shooters from eight Railways teams have already reported for the meet which is being held for the first time in the region.

Cricket matches

Minerva Academy continued with their winning spree when they outplayed J.J. Sports Club by eight wickets in the Kalka cash prize cricket cup tournament being played at the Railways cricket ground, Kalka.

Brief scores: J.J. Sports Club: 62 runs all out in 13.2 overs (Gurinder Saini 5 for 17, Deepak Lohtiya 3 for 13, Jagdish Kumar 2 for 12. Minerva Academy: 66 runs for two in 6.2 overs (Gurinder Saini 45, Naresh Saini 13, Manpreet 2 for 27.

In another tie, Yuva Club (YC), Chandimandir, defeated RECC by 70 runs.

Brief scores: YC, Chandimandir:182 runs in 25 overs (Anil Sharma 102, Vishal Sahni 52). RECC: 112 runs all out in 20 overs (Balraj 33, Rakesh Tony 16, Ajay 2 for 23).

Parnita leads in Ladies Open Golf
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23
A 10-over card of 82 was the best Parnita Garewal could muster to lead the field in the Chandigarh Ladies Open Golf Championship on the lush course of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today. Pauline J.M. Singh finished just a stroke behind in the Grewal Salver Trophy.

For the Junior Trophy Kanika Minocha returned a 14-over card of 86, with Mani Chander finishing 11 strokes behind.

Mrs Dalbir Sahi was the leader in the Ladies Challenge Open.

Twentythree ladies are participating in the tournament which was teed-off by Mr R.S. Gujral. The tournament committee consisting of Mrs Gaitri M.M. Singh, Mrs Pauline J.M.Singh, Mr H.S. Kang, Mr Ajay Gujral and Mr Vikram Singh welcomed the chief guest.

Grewal Salver Trophy: Parnita Garewal 82, Pauline J.M. Singh 83.

Bawa Gill Trophy (13-24 handicap): Pauline J.M. Singh 83, Sheena Sekhon 95.

Meters and Instrument Trophy (25-36 handicap): Mani Chander 97, Deepu Dhanoa 102.

Rani Jagdish Kaur Cup (Net 13-24 handicap): Pauline J.M. Singh 70, Sheena Sekhon 77.

Ell Ess Trophy (Net 25-36 handicap): Mani Chander 69, Gaitri M.M. Singh 75.

Junior Trophy: Kanika Minocha 86, Mani Chander 97.

Ladies Challenge Open (above 50 years): Dalbir Sahi.

Ladies Challenge Open (Net, above 50 years): Deepu Dhanoa 77

Closest to pin: Komal Jawandha.

Anant makes it to main rounds
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, March 23
Anant Vidur Puri in below-14 age group made it to the main rounds of the AITA Talent Series tennis tournament played here today at the CLTA tennis stadium, Sector 10.

Results: boys under-14 (final round): Damanbir Anand (Punjab) b Jasjit Singh (Punjab) 9-6; Uday Karan Singh Puniha (Chandigarh) b Nitin (Chandigarh) 9-0; Subhash C. Rao (Delhi) b Chetanya Verma (Chandigarh) 9-0; Pulkit Mishra (Delhi) b Monal Chhittal (Delhi) 9-3; Anmol Singh Ladhar (Chandigarh) W/o Ankit Badani (Punjab); Anant Vidur Puri (Chandigarh) b Fateh Singh Ladhar (Chandigarh) 9-3; Tanveer Sandhu (Chandigarh) b Arvinder Pal Singh (Chandigarh) 9-8 (7); Abhiraj Singh (Chandigarh) b Gaurav Inder Toor (Chandigarh) 9-2

Boys under-18 (final round): Rajkanwar Singh (Chandigarh) b Gaurav Inder Toor (Chandigarh) 9-0; Raghav Sarin (Delhi) b Vishnu Singh (Delhi) 9-4; Uday Karan Singh Puniha (Chandigarh) b Vikas Sethi (Haryana) 9-3; Subhash C. Rao (Delhi) b Parvesh Kumar (Punjab) 9-2; Pulkit Mishra (Delhi) b Amit Chauhan (Chandigarh) 9-2; Mandeep Yadav (Chandigarh) W/o Shushant Arora (Punjab); Ankit Sachdeva (Delhi) b Damanbir Anand (Punjab) 9-3; Varun Nagrathan (Delhi) W/o Ujwal Khanna (Punjab).

Football meet

The North Zone Indian Audit and Accounts Department football tournament will begin here tomorrow at the football stadium, Sector 17. In this three-day meet, teams from AG,Punjab, DGA (CR), Delhi, AG, Haryana, AG, Jammu and Kashmir, and AG, Uttar Pradesh are taking part.

The tournament will be inaugurated tomorrow by Mr Nand Lal, Accountant General (A&E).

St Stephen’s Football Academy trials
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 23
Preliminary selection trials for the St Stephen’s Football Academy will be held on the St Stephen’s School grounds in Sector 45-B on March 27 at 7.30 a.m.

According to a press note issued by the academy’s football coach Bhupinder Singh free board, lodging and schooling will be provided to those finally selected. Those born between January 1, 1989, and January 1, 1993, are eligible for the football trials.

ADMINISTRATION

HUDA keeps allottees on tenterhooks
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 23
Even as the draw of lots for four sectors by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) passed off smoothly today, it was a long wait for hundreds of applicants before they could see their names in the allottees’ lists.

The draw for the allotment of plots in sectors 12, 12-A, 17 and Sector 4 of Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) was a quick affair with the final draw being over by 2 pm. However, HUDA took its time in compiling the lists and making those public. In fact, certain property dealers proved to be favourites with the computer staff of HUDA as they got the lists before being pasted in the office for the general public.

Even as hundreds of anxious applicants made a beeline for inquiry, the lists were made public only around 6 pm. However, HUDA sources said compiling the lists was a tedious job and any printing error could lead to several problems later.

Today 19 plots each in MDC and Sector 12-A were allotted. The draw was also held for 182 plots in Sector 17 and 42 plots in Sector 12.