Milk samples to be tested 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
The UT Health Department has launched a survey to gauge the quality of milk supplied by milkmen. More than 200 samples will be collected and tested for quality. Dr Inderjeet Kaur Walia, the Director of Health Services, told Tribune here today.

The department has given a month’s time limit to all milk vendors to procure licences. A senior official of the Health Department said “It has been found that a majority of the vendors do not possess a licence.”

Dr Walia said under the quality control programme, the report on milk samples would be finalised by the last week of September and the course of action would be drafted. The local heath authority had been given instructions to ensure that the quality of milk was good.

A senior functionary of the department said “checks were carried out even in routine, however, now a special drive has been launched”.

Those supplying milk which did not comply with the set standards could face a trail under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. They could also face imprisonment.

The official said the Health Department had four LHAs who had teams of supervisors and inspectors to take samples from various markets and houses. The city had a total consumption of nearly five lakh litres out of which 2.5 litres comes from milkmen.

In a press note the Chandigarh Periphery Milkmen Union said the union had noted “the threat issued by the Health Department asking vendors to obtain licence within a month. The union has decided to issue its own licences to milk vendors and not take licence from the department”.

The union threatened that “if the slandering campaign did not stop it will stop the supply of milk to the city for one day as a protest. “It is noted that at the instance of multi-nationals and Verka milk plant, an effort is being made to oust the milk men”.

A rally would be organised on August 17 in front of the Verka plant in Mohali, the press note said.

Landing pit for Sector 7 Sports Complex
G. S. Paul
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12
A world-class landing pit is soon coming up at the Gymnasium Hall of Sector 7 Sports Complex. The pit will be made of crossed layers of foam with air tunnels, stabilisation netting and loose foam blocks coupled with a safe high-density padding to conform to the international standards.

“We were in a desperate need of a pit at the Gymnasium Hall and we have tried to provide the best possible landing pit which will be ready for use within a month’s time,” said Mr J.P.S. Sidhu, Joint Director of Sports, Chandigarh.

Landing platforms or pits used by gymnasts are very important part of any modern gymnastic hall. Filling them with correct density, shape and structure of the foam layers is essential.

Describing the technical specifications, Mr N. Shashi, coach, said, “In the pit, foam pieces of 6x6 inches will be placed between planks laid at the bottom and further covered with a 6-inch thick foam mattress throughout fixed with adhesive”.

“The wooden floor of the gymnasium has already been replaced with the cemented floor and we are adopting other steps to make it best,” he said.

Elaborating the importance of gymnastics in the coming times, he said, “The field of gymnastics include artistic gymnastic, rhythmic gymnastic, aerobics gymnastic, trampoline and acrobatics. Out of these, artistic, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics have been included in the Olympics and aerobics too will be included soon. And for all these games, a landing pit with correct density and shape is basic requirement”.

A complete set of learning apparatus is also needed in the hall. The coach had already sent a requirement for a full set of artistic gymnastic apparatus.

But, the complex remains handicapped because of its size. The minimum size of a hall should be 60x30 m while this hall is just 25x15 m. Ideally, the size of a hall should be 40x80 m.

Prerak defeats Vikas in badminton tourney
Our Sports Reporter

Panchkula, August 12
Prerak Sharma, a student of Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, Panchkula, defeated Vikas in under-16 singles section of the District Badminton Championships which began at Sports Complex, Sector 3, today. Prerak won by 15-13,15-8. In other matches of the day, Akshit Mahajan downed Shubham Grover 15-14,015-13 to enter the second round.

Results (under-16; boys): Gaurav Pahwa beats Gaurav Joshi 15-7,15-12; Rohit beats Laxman 17-16,15-2; Rythem beats Dhruv Sharma 15-6,9-15,15-3.Winners in under-16 section (girls): Yuvika,Jyoti, Muskan and Pallavi; under-13: Avi Dhawan, Mohit Manchanda, Ishan, Sunny Bansal,Gaurav Gupta,Ketan, Prabal and Abhilash. In under-13 (boys):Anshul, Shubham,Deepanshu, Anchit, Saurav, Gurpeeet, Pulkit and Shubham. Under-13(girls): Shreya, Daksha, Charvi, Tanya and Navedita.

Santosh Rani Trophy

Chandigarh: As many as 24 teams will take part in the two-day Chandigarh Ball Badminton Championships for Santosh Rani Trophy to be held at I.S.Dev Samaj Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, tomorrow. The matches will be played on league-cum- knockout basis. The teams have been divided into two pools.