The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

World Disabled Day observed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4
International Day for the Disabled was observed by the Society for the Care of Blind, Sector 26 on Friday by organising an eye check-up and screening camp at the Government High School Sector 26 in collaboration with the PGI, General Hospital, Sector 16 and GMCH Sector 32 and ophthalmology society of Chandigarh. Nearly 1700 children of the schools and 100 aged persons of the nearby area were examined by 12 senior eye doctors. Medicines free of cost were also distributed to needy patients.

The National Institute of Technical Teacher’s Training and Research (NITTTR) Sector 26 screened video films pertaining to disability to mark the day.

Three films — Disability a challenge, ‘Pehchan’ and ‘Inclusive education for the disabled’ were screened which demonstrated various aspects of overcoming the challenges of disability.

Disabled persons and their family members, teachers, trainers and professionals working in the field of disability, social workers, doctors and educationalists were present during the screening of the films.

GMCH-32 to tie up with private centres for MRI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4
The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, will tie up with private diagnostic centres of the city and its periphery to provide the MRI facility to patients.

“We have identified six centres, one in Mohali and remaining five in Chandigarh, which would provide the MRI facility at subsidised rates to the patients who are recommended an MRI test by doctors of the GMCH,” said Prof H.M. Swami, Director Principal of the hospital, while interacting with The Tribune.

The talks are under way with those centres. The subsidised rates for the facility are being worked out. While private centres charge around Rs 3,700 for each MRI, the hospital authorities are trying to work out a subsidised rate between Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,700, said Prof Swami.

“We are just trying to outsource the MRI work to the private sector on similar lines as in the case of CT scan work. However, if any patient wished to get the MRI done from any other centre, they would be free to do so,” added the Director Principal.

A private company, Mukul Sales Private, has been doing CT scan of patients within the premises of the hospital for Rs 500 as against the market rate of Rs 1,400.

SPORTS

Indo-Pak Punjab games to herald peace, brotherhood
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, December 4
Holding of the first ever India-Pakistan Punjab (East and West Punjab) games beginning tomorrow at Patiala will usher a new era of peace and brotherhood in these two states. Stating his views, Raja Randhir Singh, Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), who pioneered this concept, said the Olympic message conveyed, that through sports, one can always strengthen relations. He said the world was watching with interest this unique initiative taken by the heads of the two states.

Mr Randhir Singh who is also the executive committee member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said only few days back, he got the congratulatory message from the President of the International Olympic Committee and as well as from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for holding these games being organised after 57 years of Independence, which were an eye opener to whole of world. Mr Randhir said last year India successfully conducted the Afro-Asian games at Hyderabad and now it will be Indo-Pak Punjab Games which has given a fillip to Indian sports image in the world. He said another feather in their cap is that now these games will be annual feature with each state hosting it on alternate year.

Mr Randhir said only this year, IOA was also given the nod to host the 2010 Commonwealth games in India thus further making it a global sports organiser.

When asked, if more sport disciplines would be added next year in the increasing the number of disciplines. He said the venue of next meet would be Lahore. He said the players from Punjab part of Pakistan were the best in almost every sport discipline.

Mr Randhir predicts further growth of these games when both states will have inter-university, inter-college and may be inter-school level sports meets. He said all these four Universities of Punjab (India) could play the matches against the Universities based in Punjab (Pakistan). He said gradually the idea is to have inter-club matches from both the states. He said when people from both states have similar culture, food habits, language then why cannot we two states of different countries be more closer through sports which binds everyone.

Athletics meet concludes
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, December 4Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, and DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, were winners in the Panjab University Inter-College Athletics meet in the women’s and men’s section, respectively, which concluded this evening on the PU campus. SGGS-26 got 60 points, while DAV College earned 64 points.

In the women’s section, the GN Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36 and MG Khalsa College for Girls, Kottian secured second, third and fourth places respectively.

In the men’s section, SGGS College, Sector 26, Chandigarh, won the second place, while GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar and SCD Government College, Ludhiana, bagged second, third and fourth places, respectively.

Pawandeep Kaur of the GGS College for Women, and Vikas Kumar of DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, were declared best athletes in women and men section, respectively.

Spikers qualify: City school spikers made it to the last eight of the ongoing 50th National School Games at Gwalior. As per information reaching here, Chandigarh boys beat Uttranchal 3-2, with scores being 24-26, 26-24,15-25, 25-16,15-8. In the second tie, Chandigarh defeated Gujarat 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-10), Himachal Pradesh 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-12). In the last league match, Chandigarh trounced Delhi 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-21).

Basketball tourney: St Stephen’s School, Secor 45, and St Kabir School, Sector 26, won the boys and girls titles in the ICSE Inter School Basketball Tournament, which concluded today at Tender Heart School, Sector 33. In the girls final, St Kabir School, Sector 26 , defeated Little Flower school, Panchkula.

Indo-Pak Punjab Games: The symbolic torch of the first-ever Indo-Pak Punjab Games-2004 was flagged off this morning by Punjab Governor General SF Rodrigues (retd) for its onward journey to Patiala.

The torch was welcomed at Zirakpur, where children from various schools lined up along the Chandigarh-Patiala to cheer the torch bearers. Students raised slogans for the brotherhood of India and Pakistan and released balloons in the air.

Mr Narinder Sangha, SDM, Dera Bassi, Mr Manmohan Kumar Sharma, DSP, Mr Narinder Sharma, President, Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, along with various prominent persons of the areas were present on the occasion.

Earlier yesterday, the torch was handed over to Punjab Governor and was kept overnight in the Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Best athlete: Garry S. Amor was declared the best athlete in the below-12 section of the annual sports day of St John’s High School, Sector 26, today, where more than 800 athletes of the senior school participated. Ravi Arvind was adjudged the best athlete in-under-14 section, while Kritarth Jain and Abhinav Sharma were declared the joint best athletes in the under-16 section. A special trophy for Johnian of the Year was awarded to Abhishek Ahluwalia. Earlier Arun Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, UT, who was the chief guest took the salute and declared the event open. Various other events such as drill display, tug of war also enhralled the audience.

Quark beat Spice: Quark defeated Spice Telecom by five wickets in the Pool A league match of the CRY Cadence Cricket tournament played here today on the grounds of Sector 3 Panchkula.

Brief scores: Spice Telecom:168 runs for six (Nitin Verma 37 n.o., Manan Dogra 25, Amit Dua 2 for 18).

Quark:169 runs all out in 22.2 overs (Tej Govind 77 n.o., Harnanden 32, Sanjeev Gupta 22, Sumit 2 for 39).

Tennis results: Samin Adhikari clinched the under-10 boys singles title when he overpowered Rahul Adhikari. The score was 7-6 (1), 6-1 on the penultimate day of the CLTA Open Tennis Championship, played here today at Tennis Stadium, Sector 10.

Parul Verma, a student of DAV Model School, Sector 15, bagged the under-14 title. In the men’s singles, Jitin Bishnoi will face Akash Sharma in the final to be held tomorrow.

Today’s results:

Men’s singles (semi-finals):

Jitin Bishnoi b Prabhjot Singh 6-4, 7-5; Akash Sharma b Izreek Singh 7-5, 6-3.

Men’s doubles (semi-finals):

Saurabh Singh and Jitin Bishnoi b Vikas Sharma and Gursewak 7-5, 6-1.

Boys under-14 (semi-final):

Amit Chauhan b Uday Karan Singh Puniha 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3); Parul Verma b Chandam Shaolin 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Boys under-10 (final):

Samin Bhargava b Rahul Adhikari 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Mens Doubles (finals):

Jitin Bishnoi and Saurabh Singh b Robin Kumar and Akash Sharma 0-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Boys under-14 (final):

Parul Verma b Amit Chauhan 7-6 (2), 6-2.

ADMINISTRATION

PF Commissioner attaches bank accounts of three units

Chandigarh, December 4
Getting tough with the provident fund (PF) defaulters, the Office of the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner has attached the bank accounts and movable and immovable properties of three industrial units in the city and adjoining areas.

According to officials sources, the action against the defaulters have been taken under a drive by the office for the recovery of PF and other dues from the defaulters. Meters and Instruments, Chandigarh, Century Sheet Metal, Mohali, and PML Industries, Dera Bassi, are the units against whom the action had been taken.

Besides, complaints under Sections 406 and 409 of the IPC have also been filed against Atma Tube Products Limited, Dera Bassi, Tech Tools and Rana Mahindra Paper, both in Ropar district, for the non-deposit of PF deducted from the wages of the employees.

Similarly, the recovery officers of the regional offices at Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda and Jalandhar have also intensify the efforts to collect the outstanding PF amount, according to a press note. — TNS