Govt officer given expired medicine by Sec 45 dispensary
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16
A senior officer working with Central Labour Bureau here was handed over expired medicine last week by the Health Scheme Dispensary in Sector 45. Mr Ram Krishna, Director of the Labour Bureau posted at Kendriya Sadan here, had visited the dispensary on August 11 and was prescribed an antibiotic and two other medicines.

The strip of the antibiotic Tormoxin, had expired in June this year. As per the rules for Central Government employees, the lone CGHS dispensary gives medicines to the employees free of cost. All those living within a 3 km radius of Sector 45 have to get treatment at the dispensary.

An angry Mr Krishna has shot off a compliant to Dr Subhas Chander, Senior Regional Director of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Copies of the letter have been sent to the Union Health Minister and also the Drug Controller, Chandigarh.

Mr Chander confirmed that he had received the complaint and the Chief Medical Officer had been asked to inquire into the matter. The Regional Director said action will be taken if it is established that expired medicines were handed out to Mr Krishna.

It may be recollected that in April this year a sub-committee was formed to look into the functioning of the dispensary. It said the dispensary was inadequate to cater to the health requirements of thousands of the employees and pensioners.

The committee had in its report to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Anbumani Ramdoss, said that the “coverage of the CGHS should be restricted to the pensioners till it accomplishes full infrastructure in terms of adequate staff and dispensaries.”

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

Rural sports meet on August 25
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16
The two-day Annual Rural Sports Meet will be organised by Democratic Youth Federation of India at Guru Darona Acharya Stadium of the village on August 25 and 26.

The main attraction at the meet will be kabaddi circle style under different categories, 100 metres race for veterans, long jump, shot put and volleyball. The winners of the events will be awarded with cash prizes.

The meet will be inaugurated by Mr I.S. Sandhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Director, Sports, Chandigarh.

ADMINISTRATION

Old houses to make way for multi-storeyed flats
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16
The Chandigarh Administration is planning to demolish more than 500 single-storeyed houses located in prime sectors of the City Beautiful to make way for four-storeyed flats. Majority of the houses in categories XI and XII are for Class III and Class IV employees and are currently occupied by government officials of the administration and even by certain employees of the Punjab and Haryana governments.

A senior official, while talking to The Tribune said, the administration was making a list of houses to be demolished. A large number of the existing houses, built more than 50 years back, are made of an inferior mud mortar mix. The single-storeyed houses vary in size between six and eight marlas. There are big open spaces in front or the rear of the buildings. “Majority of these houses have far outlived their utility”, the official said.

The administration planned to demolish these structures and replace them with four-storeyed buildings. These were just one room or two room dwelling units. The new space would be built to house at least 2,000 families instead of the current capacity of nearly 850 families. Families will be given a temporary residence till the time new settlements were arranged.

The senior official said the current waiting list for a house in categories III and IV of employees was 12-13 years. This meant that even these flats were going to be insufficient to solve the housing problems of the government employees. The administration had asked the Chief Architect to identify new area.

The official said not all houses in this categories would be demolished.

It was pointed out that the city has more than 3000 houses in this category. The houses have developed cracks and can collapse in certain cases. These quarters have been wasting a lot of open space, which looked out of place during the times, when the administration was looking around for space to house the homeless.