Chandigarh, October 23
As many as 12 per cent city residents are suffering from iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), making Chandigarh endemic to diseases like goitre and mental and physical retardation among children.

Giving nationwide statistics, Ms Upasana Ahluwalia, technical officer, National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme at Government Hospital, Sector 16, said more than 200 million people were at risk of having deficiency diseases and the number of persons actually suffering from it was 70 million.

Speaking at an awareness camp organised to make city residents aware about the IDD yesterday, Ahluwalia said around 2.2 million children were born with cretin, a physical and mental retardation among children due to inadequate intake of iodine and 6.6 million had neurological deficit. “Out of 312 districts surveyed so far in India, 254 districts are IDD endemic, as the prevalence rate is more than 10 per cent,” she said.

The deficiency of iodine in women was more pronounced as it could lead to stillbirths, abortions, mental retardation in children, deaf, mutism and dwarfism. Doctors suggested that the intake of 100-150 gm of iodine through iodised salt was the best remedy to preventing its deficiency in the body.

A week-long awareness drive had also been launched by the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme Cell under the UT Health Department in association with the Citizens Awareness Group, an NGO. Schoolchildren were informed about the correct consumption of iodised salt in the programme.

Chandigarh, October 23
The State Blood Transfusion Council, Chandigarh in collaboration with the Blood Banks at the PGI, General Hospital Sector16, Government Medical College Hospital, Sector 32 and Rotary Blood Bank will honour over 1000 blood donors at the PGI on Sunday.

Apart from regular donors, pioneers in the voluntary blood donation movement in the city, heads of department of all the blood banks of Chandigarh and directors and chairpersons of the NGOs are scheduled to take part in the ceremony. Director PGI, Prof K.K. Talwar will inaugurate the ceremony.

Chandigarh, October 23
Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, lifted the CBSE North Zone Football Championship by beating Ganga International School, Delhi 5-0 in the finals played here today at Football Stadium, Sector 17. Earlier D.K. Saini, Assistant Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyala Sangathan, Chandigarh region was the chief guest.

In the match held today, Sanjay Public School boys were in command right from the beginning and it was Ajay Bhatt who struck with two goals in 11th minute and 30th minute. After the lemon break, Jagmeet scored a goal in 57th minute. The fourth goal for the team was spearheaded by Deepankar Sharda who scored the goal in 65th minute. Ajay Bhatt scored his third goal and fifth goal for the Sanjay School.

Sanjay School also qualified for the CBSE National Soccer Championship to be held in Varanasi.

Chandigarh, October 23
Modern School, Delhi, won laurels in under-14 and under-19 girls’ sections by winning titles in the CBSE North Zone I and II Tennis Tournament played here today in Mount Carmel School, Sector 47.

Spring Dale Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, bagged the under-19 boys title while DAV Public School, New Delhi emerged winner in under-14 boys.

Mr SP Arora, Director, Public Relations, UT, who was the chief guest, gave away the prizers. He lauded the school management for organising the event.

Results: Under-14 boys:DAV Public School, New Delhi, b Modern School, New Delhi, 2-1 (Chandril lost to Ankit 1-6,0-6; Lakshit b Pulkit 6-1,6-4; Chandril and Lakshit b Ankit and Pulkit 6-3,6-3.

Under-14; girls: Modern School, New Delhi, b Satluj Public School, Panchkula, 2-0 (Garima b Mehak Thakur 9-0; Henna b Aastha Thakur 9-0).

Under-19 girls:Modern School, New Delhi b Carmel Convent, New Delhi, 2-0 (Tanya Ahuja b Vatika 9-0; Karina Ahuja b Saiban Chug 9-0.

Panchkula, October 23
The First National Table Soccer Championship in men and women’s section involving 172 participants drawn from six states of the country began at The Gurukul, Sector 20, here today.

This two-day meet is being organised by the Haryana State Table Soccer Association. The meet was inaugurated by Mr D.R. Kairon, District Transport Officer, Panchkula.

According to Mr Balwinder Johal, president of the Table Soccer Federation of India, it was an inexpensive sport as compared to other sports. He said the International Table Soccer Federation in its message for the meet had wished that the sport would get the desired popularity in the country.

He added that the annual general meeting of the federation would be held in January, next year, to decide the annual calendar of the TSFI.

The president of the Haryana Table Soccer Association and organiser of the meet said they had got good response for the first meet and soon they would organise the State Table Soccer Championship involving participation of all districts of the state.

He said eight tables had been set up for the championship. The finals and prize distribution function will be held tomorrow.

In the girls’ under-17 section, Ms Ravinder Johal of Chandigarh beat Sonia of Punjab 10-3, while in doubles, Jyoti Kaushik and Jyoti Pannu of Chandigarh got the better of Jasmeet Kaur and Mona Rawat of Punjab 10-3.

In under-19 girls’ doubles, Jasleen Kaur and Ragini of Punjab had to struggle hard to beat the challenge of Roohi and Savneet of Chandigarh 13-9.

Chandigarh, October 23
With Sector 17 shopkeepers taking up arms against the new shop hours, the cold war between shopkeepers and the Chandigarh Administration seems to have hot up again.

The shopkeepers, who have serious reservations about the new timing i.e. from 11 am to 9 pm with a two-hour lunch break from 2 pm, have termed the administration’s notification as a “step taken in haste, without knowing the ground realities and practical difficulties”.

Earlier, the shop timing was from 10 am to 8 pm.

In fact, a delegation of shopkeepers comprising Mr J.P.S. Kalra, Mr Rajinder Manocha, Mr J.S. Sodhi, Mr K.L. Jain and Mr Ashutosh Vermani, which met the DC-cum-Labour Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, yesterday urged the administration to make the timing “flexible to suit all sections of traders and shoppers”.

Pointing out loopholes in the notification, Mr Kalra, who is also the spokesperson for the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, asserted that it was only a part of Sector 17 E and the plaza that remained active till 9 pm. Rest of the shopping complex witnessed a sharp decline in trade after the office hours i.e. 5 pm, he reasoned.

Government and semi-government offices, corporate offices and banks started functioning at 10 am, kicking shopping activity in the market, he said.

Moreover, the new timing suited only a fraction of commercial establishments such as cloth merchants, shoe stores and franchisee showrooms in and around Sector 17-E and the plaza, he contended.

The contention of the administration that there was hardly any commercial activity till 11 am was “misplaced” as hundreds of residents from the surrounding areas visited the market in the morning.

The new order had only helped regular offenders, who earlier used to open shops after the scheduled time of 8 pm.

The order had put a majority of shopkeepers, who used to observe the regular official timing, in a tight spot, Mr Kalra added.

Other parts of the sectors, including Bridge Market and area around it, Jagat Cinema and parts of Sector 17 (A and B), did not even have basic amenities such streetlights and landmarks to guide visitors during night hours, a shopkeeper alleged.

Besides, hundreds of students studying in over 30 coaching centres arrived in the sector early in the morning.

This coupled with other factors belied administration’s claims that the commercial activity picked up late in the evening, a representation added.