The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Free of cost vaccine for livestock
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Under a centrally-sponsored scheme, livestock would be administered vaccine free of cost in five veterinary hospitals in the city.

The vaccination will be carried out at — Sector-22 (Dog Clinic), Manimajra, Hallomajra , Sector-38, and Dhanas alongwith nine veterinary sub-centres at village Behiana, Burail , Daria, Kaimbwala, Maloya, Manimajra, Palsora, Khuda Alisher, Khuda Lahora of UT Chandigarh.

Rural women lack reproductive health care
Neelam Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
A virtual unavailability of specialised doctors at the village level and the total dependence of women on menfolk to take them to city hospitals deprive many women of the opportunity to avail themselves of basic health facilities. This is despite the fact that more than 12 per cent women in North Indian villages in the age group 19 to 45 years suffer from reproductive health problems.

More than 12 per cent of the women who visited mobile clinics suffered from reproductive health problems, of which vaginal discharge, menstural problems and uterine prolapse are prominent. By and large the village women lack reproductive health care, finds the study.

The per person cost of the mobile clinic turns out to be as exorbitant Rs 162 for a general patient and Rs 1,299 for a patient with reproductive health problems. Financial constraints would make the reach of the health facilities to the women fairly difficult.

In an IMCR funded study undertaken by Dr Amarjeet Singh of the Department of Community Medicine, PGI, on 10 North Indian villages to ascertain the response of women to the mobile clinics, it has been founded that the dependence of women on men as escorts and the lack of facilities at the village level itself pose a major hurdle in the improvement of the women’s health.

“Most women consult a doctor quite late for their reproductive health problems and continue to tolerate without discussing these with others. This consultation lag, a high tolerance threshold and the culture of silence is ascribed to limited opportunities of contact of women with health care providers,’’ describes the study.

About the unavailability of doctors at health centres, the study says: “In India, women doctors are posted only at the primary health centre (PHC) level and the gynaecologists are posted only at the community health centre (CHC) level. However, with many of these posts lying vacant, women find it difficult to travel to these centres due to their poor social and economic status, lack of escort, poor transport facilities and the distance involved.”

The study further adds a visit to the city hospital is more problematical for women because of the unavailability of the husband as escort, lack of money and his loss of man days. A visit to the referral hospital also required permission of the menfolk because of the lower status of women in rural India where it is not considered proper for the women to go unescorted, even if it is a visit to the doctor.

SPORTS

Kirmani’s tips to young cricketers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Former Indian wicket keeper Syed Kirmani, today asked budding cricketers to devout time on studies as being a good student will help them to be good players also besides instilling discipline.

Kirmani, who is Chairman of National Cricket Selectors, was on visit to the Cricket Stadium in Sector 16 where an academy is run by the Chandigarh Cricket Association under the aegis of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Kirmani, who was part of India’s history creating team in the 1983 world cup gave a 30 minute talk to young cricketers. The young cricketers should play straight in the nets. He told youngsters to learn to play within their limitations and not try
to play big shots at
young age.

Later he distributed tee shirts to the youngsters.

Inter-varsity handball results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
On the 2nd day results of North East Zone Inter-University Handball Championship are as under: Men: DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, beat Dr RML Avadh University, Faizabad 11-10; Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa, beat Utkal University, Bhubaneshwar, 15-11; VBS Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, beat C.C.S University, Meerut, 18-12; Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, beat Avadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa, 14-3; Jammu University beat Berhampur University 16-9; Delhi University beat Kurukshetra University, 18-14; Himachal Pradesh University beat Dr R.M.L. Avadh University, Faizabad, 17-2.

The results of PU Inter-College Inter-Zonal Kho-Kho (Women) tournament played on league basis at the PU grounds, Chandigarh, are as under:

Government College for Women, Ludhiana, beat MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, by one turn and 2 points (score: 5-3); G.G.S. College for Women, Chandigarh, beat Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh, by 11 points (score 15-4); Government College for Women, Ludhiana, beat Government College for Girls, Sector 11, Chandigarh, by one turn and 8 points (score 10-2). MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, beat G.G.S. College for Women, Chandigarh, beat G.G.S. College for Women, Chandigarh, by 1 point (score 9-8).

AG Haryana, DAV Club to clash for football trophy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
The first semifinal match of Chandigarh Senior (Men) Football Championship for Pandit Harbans Lal Memorial Trophy was played between last year’s finalist AG Audit Haryana and Coaching Centre, Sector 17, at football stadium, Sector 17, today in which AG Audit Haryana beat Coaching Centre by 4-1 in the tie breaker as no team could score any goal in full time.

AG Audit Haryana team, consisting of experienced players, played coordinated game and dominated the proceedings for most of time. Coaching Centre team, consisting of college and school players, played attacking game and managed to restrain their senior rivals to full time draw.

The match started on a fast pace and ball moved from one half to another half. In a dangerous move, right striker Rajesh Sharma of AG Audit Haryana missed a sitter in 11th minute. He was followed by his team mate right winger Suraj who missed a through pass fed by the left half Sanjeev Daupa and failed to utilise it in 13th minute.

The Coaching Centre team was constantly under threat by repeated attacks of AG Haryana forwards. Its forwards missed a number of goal scoring chances. Harvinder Paul, Virender Kawar, Sandeep Daupa and Rajesh Sharma, scored goals for AG, Haryana. Suraj of Coaching Centre scored the only goal for his team.

The second semifinal match was played between AG Audit Punjab and DAV Club in which latter beat their senior rivals by 1-0 goal in a well-contested match. DAV boys had upper hand in the proceedings for most of the time and scored the match winning goal in the 64th minute and scorer was right striker Bikram Jeet Singh. AG Audit Punjab missed a golden chance to equalise in the dying minutes when they were awarded a penalty kick when a defender handled the ball in the dangerous area. The resultant penalty kick was missed by the right half Jitender Singh.

Tomorrow fixture for third place: Coaching Centre, Sector 17, vs AG Audit Punjab, 3 pm.

Final match: AG Audit Haryana vs DAV Club, 4 pm.

Rayat Institute team win gold in table tennis
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 24
A team of Rayat Institute of Engineering and Information Technology has won gold medal in the inter-college table tennis tournament organised by Punjab Technical University, in which total 31 boys and 11 girl’s teams participated. Rayat girls team comprising of Nitika Gulati, Anchal Bassi, Rupinder Kaur, Harmandeep Kaur won by 3-2 from the girls team of IET, Faridkot.

The girl’s team of Rayat Institute of Engineering and Information Technology has left for Bareily to represent PTU in inter-university table tennis tournament to be held from September 24 to September 27 in MJP Rohalkhand University, Bareily.

Vaneet Jain to lead city in Pataudi Trophy meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Haryana Ranji Trophy player, Vaneet Jain, will lead Chandigarh in the Pataudi Trophy Cricket tournament. The team is: Ajay Sikka, Sunil Mehra, Rajesh Pattha, Ravinder Nain, Kamalpreet Singh, Girish Bhanot, Bageshwar Bisht, Sumeet Kamboj, Sansar Bali, Yuvraj Anand, Amit Verma, Charanjit Singh, Sarul Kanwar, Karandeep and Anwar. The stand byes are: Michael Vishal, Prashant Bahuguna, Suraj Bhan and Jagjit Singh and Pawan, the secretary of the Chandigarh Cricket Association said yesterday.

Chandigarh plays its first match against Panchkula at Barwala on Saturday.

Brisk walk competition for senior citizens held
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 24
Over 500 senior citizens here today took part in a brisk walk competition organised by the Chandigarh police and the Senior Citizen Association at the Sukhna lake. The Inspector-General of Police, Chandigarh, Mr Rajesh Kumar, distributed the prizes to the winners in the competition.

The UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), inaugurated the competition at 7 am and briefly participated in it.

Justice Verma said the Chandigarh Administration had directed all departments to adopt a friendly approach towards senior citizens in their working.

The prize distribution function was presided over by Mr Kumar. An informal interactive session was also held with the senior citizens.

The competition is being organised by the Chandigarh police for the past few years on an annual basis as part of its initiative to have a better coordination with the senior citizens.

Mr P.H. Vaishnav, former Chief Secretary of Punjab and President of the Senior Citizen Association, welcomed the Governor and the Inspector-General of the Police. Major-Gen Bhullar, chairman of the association, also spoke.

The following are the winners of the competition:

Women: (Age Group 60-65) Nirmal Bhatia 1; Vidya Vati 2, Krishna Modgill 3. (65-70) Sheela Chaudhary 1; Shakuntala Chaudhary 2; Amarjit Kaur Kang 3.

Special Category: Baljit Gill 1; Chanchal Sagar 2; Chitkara 3. (70-75) Bimla Bedi 1; Jasawant Kaur 2; Shudarshan Chaudhary 3. Men: (Age group 65-70) Jeet Singh 1; Lt.Col. Gurdev Singh 2; K.S.R. Bajwa 3. (70-75) Amarjit Singh 1; Joginder Singh Oberoi 2; B.D. Behal 3. (Special category) M.L. Chitkara 1; G.S. Virdi 2, D.K. Sagar 3. (Above 75) Pritam Singh 1; Major Gian Singh 2; Harwant Singh 3.

ADMINISTRATION

Administration, MCC ‘differ’ on property tax rate
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
The Chandigarh Administration and the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC), it seems, do not see eye-to-eye on the imposition of 3% property tax on the commercial property in the city.

With the administration dragging its feet on the issuance of the notification regarding the imposition of the tax, the decision is not likely to see the light of the day in its present form. The administration wants the tax at the rate of atleast 5% and the MCC decision is likely to be sent back for reconsideration, a senior administration functionary said here today.

With that end in view, the administration would use its discretionary powers under the Punjab Municipal Act “forcing”the civic body to toe its line. Terming the 5% tax as “nominal”, the sources claimed that it would be the lowest in the country.

The sources said the 5% tax would net a revenue of Rs 10 crore for the corporation while the 3% could net only Rs 6 crore.

Even as the administration braces up to “armtwist” the civic body, Senior Deputy Mayor, Pardeep Chhabra, felt that 3% tax was a good beginning for a city like Chandigarh where the residents were not in the habit of paying taxes. While the BJP had proposed 10% tax during its tenure, the Congress had kept the rate at 3% keeping the welfare of the traders and landlords in mind, he claimed.

Although the tax would hit only a fraction of the landlords in the city, repeated moves to impose the tax had come in for severe criticism at the hands of various traders’s organisations, including the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal. A strong traders’ lobby, owing allegiance to the MP, Mr Pawan Bansal,is also reportedly opposing the tax tooth and nail.

The imposition of the tax hand been hanging fire for the past several years.Last month, the Congress-dominated MCC had proposed 3% tax with a view to get a grants-in-aid from the administration. The administration had made the imposition of the tax mandatory for the release of the grant.

Subsequently, the administration released a grant of Rs 15 crore to the civic body. Another grant of Rs 6 crore is in the pipeline from the Central Government early next year.

Shortage of smart cards for licences
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
The Chandigarh Administration said yesterday in view of the shortage of “smart cards” issued for driving licences and registration of vehicles, it has been decided that members of public will be given temporary slips which will be valid for driving and RC.

This slip will save members of the public from any sort of challan by the Traffic police. Deputy Commissioner Arun Kumar said as soon as the smart cards are procured, the same will be dispatched to the concerned at their residence through courier. The cost of delivery through courier shall be borne by the Registration and Licensing Authority.

The Registration and Licensing Authority is trying to sort out the problems emanating on account of shortage of ‘smart card’ available with the Service provider.

The Tata Infotech, the Service provider is also making earnest efforts to procure it at the earliest and restart the issuance of smart card. It is expected that normalcy shall be resumed within a week’s time, Deputy Commissioner, Arun Kumar said.