HEALTH

Functioning of CGHS dispensary under fire
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
In a severe indictment of the functioning of the Central Government Health Scheme(CGHS), a sub-committee has ruled that the Sector 45 CGHS Dispensary is inadequate to cater to the health requirements of the thousands of central government employees and pensioners.

And now tired at its “erratic” functioning, the committee has shot off its report to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Anbumani Ramdoss, saying that the “coverage of the CGHS should be restricted to the pensioners till it accomplishes full infrastructure in terms to adequate staff and dispensaries.”

Headed by Mr L.K. Puri,Chief Post Master General, Punjab Circle, the committee demanded that the patients should be allowed to avail of medical facilities directly from the PGI and other government-run hospitals.

The amount of medicines purchased from the open market should be reimbursed on the Delhi pattern.

Demanding the provision of additional facilities at the dispensary, the report wanted that the doctors from the alternative systems of medicines should also be included in the CGHS panel.

Since the number of diagnostic centres attached to dispensary was “too small”, more centres should be authorised to do the job for the convenience of the patients. Adequate number of doctors and paramedical staff should be posted in the dispensary, the report said adding that an ambulance should also be provided at the dispensary.

It may be recalled that in the wake of the repeated complaints from various departments, the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee(CGEWCC) had constituted a committee on December 3, 2004, to review the functioning of the CGHS Dispensary.

During its two visits to the dispensary the committee members were informed that “there is an acute mismatch in terms of the infrastructure available and the growing demand, as a result, the doctors and the paramedical staff are hard-pressed.”

SPORTS

It’s home coming for Railways coach
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 31
For Vinod Sharma, coach of Railways Ranji team, visiting Mohali is like home coming. The Railways team is here to play the five-day Ranji Trophy match against Punjab, which began today at Punjab Cricket Association grounds.

Sharma, who did advance coaching course from Alfred Gover School of Coaching in England, was born and brought up in Chandigarh. He is now settled at Mumbai.

Sharma was member of Haryana Ranji team during 1972-73 and 1984-85. He then shifted to the Railways and has been there as professional coach for the past 21 years.

As a coach, he focused mainly on the basics of players. “I always advise my boys to concentrate on the basics of cricket. This is more important when a player is out of form”, he said. “To understand problems of players and solve them is the duty of coach which could be performed only if you are friendly with them. I treat my players as my friends and try to rectify their faults and weaknesses. Self-belief and hard work are the mottos that I lend to my team”, he added.

Terming the unity and cohesiveness as the key to the success of the team, he lauded his team that winning 15 national titles and five runner up positions.

Besides this, the Railways has produced more than 30 international cricket players, including off spinner Murali Kartik, medium pacer Harvinder Singh, all-rounder J.P. Yadav and Amit Pagnis.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of the team, which made 286 for 5 on the first day of the match.

When asked about the chances of India against Pakistan in the coming one-day series, he immediately placed India on the upper slot. “ India will bounce back and win the one-day series”, he said. He also backed Saurav Ganguly, who is passing through rough phase. “Saurav is most successful captain of the Indian team. He should forget the sordid past and start a new chapter”, he said. 

Senior kabaddi nationals from today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
The 17th Senior National Circle Kabaddi Championship for men and women organised by the Amateur Circle Kabaddi Federation of India is going to be held at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here on April 1.

Besides Chandigarh, various states like Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Karnataka, Pondichery and Orissa have confirmed their participation in this meet.

The matches will be played on league-cum- knock out basis. An official technical clinic will also be conducted during the championship for imparting of A, B and C grades on the basis of which the players will be selected for international level matches.

3 local v'ball players win laurels
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
Three local volleyball players brought laurels to the country by being part of the Indian youth volleyball team, which won the 23 rd Memorial Ferruccio Cornacchia International Volleyball Tournament in Italy recently. They defeated Hungary in the finals.

Gurinder Singh and Balwinder Singh of Shivalik Public School and Lalit Kumar of S D Public School were also members of the team. It is the first time that the Indians have won any tournament on European soil. The team has been trained by Mohan Nargeta, SAI coach of Shivalik School Volleyball Academy.

Preetinder lifts Grewal Salver
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
Preetinder Kaur played steady golf on all three days to lift the Grewal Salver defeating her nearest rival Dimple Minocha by three strokes in the Chandigarh Open Ladies Amateur Golf Championship on the lush course of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

She started the day with a double bogey showing some nerves but soon settled down and played good golf.

In the silver division another upcoming junior Mani Chander played a round of 4 under her handicap to claim the Bilt Challenge Bowl. Vandya Bagrodia won the Meters and Instruments Cup in the bronze division with Neelu Chopra coming in second.

Grewal Salver Gross (0-36): Preetinder Kaur 1, Saanya Sharma 2.

Ladies Challenge Cup Nett (0-12): Dimple Minocha 1.

Bilt Challenge Bowl Nett (0-36): Mani Chander 1, Rabiya Gill 2.

Rani Jagdish Kaur Cup Nett (13-14): Deepu Dhanoa 1.

Meters & Instruments Cup Gross (25-36): Vandya Bagrodia 1, Tanya Anand 2.

Ell Ess Trophy Nett (25-36): Neelu Chopra 1.

Lady Governor’s Cup Senior Gross: Binny Bath1.

Senior Nett: Deepu Dhanoa 1.

Junior Gross: Preetinder Kaur 1.

Junior Nett: Mani Chander 1.

Super Senior Gross: Gurbinder Johl 1.

ADMINISTRATION

Inspector Jaggi promoted as DSP
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
Inspector Arjun Singh Jaggi, who till recently held the charge of DSP (Security), was today formally promoted to the post after retirement of S.C. Sagar.

Mr Jaggi has been given the charge of DSP (Security and Traffic) after his promotion.

Mr Jaggi replaces DSP Jaspal Singh in the Traffic police. Jaspal Singh has been shifted to the Women and Child Support Unit, from where DSP P. K. Dhawan has been sent as Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Central).

The SDPO (Central) post fell vacant after retirement of Mr Sagar today.

Mr Jaggi, an officer of the 1973 batch, has served the United Nations twice in Bosnia and Kosovo as Human Rights Officer and Administrative Officer.

DSP Sagar retires
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31
This cop loves to be in the middle of action - solving cases of murder and kidnapping and handling rallies or arresting political bigwigs, including former President Giani Zail Singh. His passion for activity was demonstrated today itself when he planned to don a lawyer’s robe, the day when he retired after 33 years of service.

Mr Subhash Chander Sagar, who retired as DSP today, has been the city’s well-known investigator, solving difficult cases like Lekhraj kidnapping masterminded from the U. S. Muskan murder case, murder of an Air Force officer Usha Jai Chandran, rape-on-wheel case and Vishnu Dutt murder case of 1983 when the body was fished out from the Yamuna river after 18 days.

The Lekhraj kidnapping was the first of its kinds in the country in which Mr Sagar immediately roped in the American police authorities to book the mastermind in the US for the kidnapping in the city. Mr Sagar built up pressure on the mastermind Jasbir Singh to instruct his frontmen to abort the kidnapping in 18 hours.

The high profile rape-on-wheels case was solved by Mr Sagar when he detected that the rape was basically a conspiracy to frame a person.

The former cop is so fond of reading that he did his law degree while serving the force. Mr Sagar’s crime investigation experience makes him a formidable force in the field of law as he is the only police officer of the city who will take to legal practice after retirement.

Mr Sagar has arrested former President Giani Zail Singh, former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, former Chief Ministers and Union Ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Surjeet Singh Barnala, Balram Jakhar, Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh and former Haryana Finance Minister Sampat Singh during various political agitations. He had also arrested Jagdev Singh Talwandi and Gurcharan Singh Tohra and former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia.

Mr Sagar was the blue-eyed boy of Delhi’s top cops R. S. Gupta and V. N. Singh when the two police officers served in Chandigarh.

Mr Sagar, however, left a high profile case unsolved at the fag-end of his career. He was asked to investigate the MMS case in which a local girl appeared to be featuring. It seems Mr Sagar got wary of the Anara Gupta case and did not make much efforts in this direction. He, however, had probably got expert opinion suggesting the local girl seemed to have been tricked.