NEIGHBOURHOOD

800 diarrhoea cases in Ambala so far
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 20
Taking up an appeal challenging Central Administrative Tribunal’s orders upholding the extension granted to Dr KK Talwar as PGI Director, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to Union of India.

The Director, too, has been issued the notice for filing a reply.

The Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice AN Jindal has fixed August 12 as the next date of hearing on the petition filed by Dr Rohtas Kanwar Yadav through counsel Puneet Bali.

In his petition, Dr Yadav has thrown a challenge to the CAT orders passed on May 26, vide which its Chandigarh Bench did not find fault with Talwar’s extension as the PGI Director.

The petitioner said: “With regard to the appointment of respondent to the post of Director, PGIMER, Chandigarh, for the second tenure, the tribunal came to the conclusion that though there was irregularity in his appointment, there was no illegality. Hence, the appointment could not be quashed.

The impugned order passed by the tribunal was arbitrary and “has been passed without application of mind, against the well-settled principles of service jurisprudence and, hence, liable to be set aside,” he argued.

Dismissing his application on May 26, CAT had ruled: “Though there is a procedural irregularity in processing the matter to the Central government for extension to be given to Dr Talwar, we are of the considered view that the end of justice would not be achieved by quashing and setting aside the extension given to Dr Talwar on procedural technicalities depriving the institute of an eminent and experienced director already running the institute. In view of public interest at large, the process of selection is time consuming and same would take sufficient time and institute cannot be kept without a directors for a long period.”

In his appeal, Yadav sought quashing of the CAT orders, as the extension given to Talwar as PGI Director was in blatant violation of the rules.

Bali contended: “After the country attained its Independence in 1947 and after framing of our Constitution in 1950 and with coming into force the fundamental rights of an individual, the theory of kingship and permanent domain of a person or a ruler to dominate or to hold on of a particular title was totally abolished.

“Unfortunately, even after 60 years of our Independence, the appointment to the highest post of a declared national institute has been made in a most autocratic manner and by totally bypassing the spirit of the Constitutional provisions, statutory Acts and legislations in a manner which reminds us of times where fiefdoms would be granted for the asking,” Bali pleaded further.

Chandigarh, July 20
A local court today remanded Anand Kumar, accused in the Pakistani spy case, in two-day police custody.

Seeking police remand of three days, the public prosecutor (PP) said: “The police is yet to find out as to how Anand Kumar came in touch with Pakistan spy Kashif Ali, why did Anand provide his residence to him for a period of one and half month and why Anand provided Kashif with a photocopy of his ration card for getting the identity in the name of Pawan Kumar.”

The public prosecutor further added that the remand was required as Anand had introduced Kashif Ali as Pawan Kumar for opening of a bank account at Syndicate Bank.

Anand was arrested yesterday from Haiderpur, New Delhi.

Kashif Ali, a Pakistan national, was arrested from Sector 44 on July 10 for spying.

The police had seized confidential documents related to the Army, a digital camera, a driver’s licence issued by the Transport Authority, New Delhi, with Ali’s (Pawan Kumar-fake name) photograph, a receipt of the Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh, and a Maruti 800 car (CH 01 H 0010) from his possession.

Chandigarh, July 20
The police today arrested a man for allegedly detaining his children at his residence in the PGI and threatening his wife to kill himself and the children. This follows a ruckus created by the man at his residence last evening.

Police station-11 SHO Sukhbir Rana said around 7.30 am, the police received information that a man, later identified as Surinder, had detained his two minor children in his house and refused to open the door.

The police reached the scene and tried to persuade the man to open the door, but in vain.

The police eventually broke open the door, even as Surinder kept threatening to kill the children if anyone tried to force into the house.

The police said Surinder had created a scene in an inebriated state last evening when he began throwing articles from his third-floor residence in the yard of the ground floor neighbours.

He also had a verbal duel with his neighbour Mukhtiar Singh. The police was called in around 10.30 pm. The neighbours also informed his wife Leela, a staff nurse in the PGI, about the incident.

The police said the man had refused to open the door last evening and the police had to wait there for a while before leaving.

Again in the morning, the police received information that the man had been creating nuisance.

Surinder, a constable in the Haryana Police, had been dismissed from service in the past. He is in his early 40s. He had earlier been booked in a case of brawl.

The SHO said a case of wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation under Sections 342 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against him.

Chandigarh, July 20
West Bengal got better off all the three teams in the cluster VIII of the 9th Junior National for Girls being held in the city at PEC grounds here.

In the last league match of the group VIII, West Bengal defeated Punjab by 5-0, whereas Tripura team, which was sharing equal points with West Bengal in the points tally also defeated Rajasthan by 5-0.

After their last league match, both the teams collectively got seven points each, but due to goal average in all matches pre-quarter final league stage West Bengal qualified for the quarter final stage. Whereas last year champion Orissa drubbed Karnataka by 13-0 from Orissa team Jabamani Soren scored four goals, while Lochna Munda scored three goals.

Kunti Kumari and Sansmita Ghatary contributed two goals each, while Pratima Soren and Manisha Tirkey managed to get one goal.

On the other hand, last year runners-up Manipur defeated Delhi by 14-0. From winners Bina Devi got five goals, Reenaroy Devi netted four goals, Monteshri Chanu three, Basanti Devi and Neera Devi contributed a goal each.

While Maharashtra cleared the pre-quarterfinal stage due to better goal average against the rivals of their group.

In cluster VII, Assam and Maharastra shared equal six points. In their last league match, both the teams played a 1-1 draw against each other.

Assam drew the first blood in the 27th minute through Sobitazzari, while Lovaniya Diwakar from Maharashtra levelled the score in the 71st minute of the game. Orissa, Manipur, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Puducherry qualified for the next stage of the tournament.

Chandigarh, July 20
It seems that the Chandigarh Football Association (CFA) has nothing to offer to its senior players.

For the past two years, the association has not organised any state or national-level tournament for seniors.

As a result, several senior players are forced to leave the city to remain in touch with the game or confine themselves to local unaffiliated tournaments.

“All senior footballers here are perplexed about their sports career. The local association seems to be least bothered as far as organising a tournament for senior players is concerned. So we are forced to go to Delhi or be a part of local tournaments, being organised by our fellow players,” rued a local national level player, who did not wish to be quoted. It was in 2007-08, when the senior state championship was organised. After that the CFA did not conduct any meet for its senior players till date. “That tournament (2007-08) was also held after a long gap. This irregular schedule of tourneys largely tell upon the game of players here,” said another player.

Players never come to know about the association’s sports calendar. Interestingly, in 2008-09, CFA president Vinod Sharma had announced that the association would hold a Rs 1 lakh cash prize money tournament for college boys, but the championship could not be organised even after two years. Due to the association’s failure, players could not get a chance to represent city in the second Division National Football League, which is organised by the All-India Football Association every year.

Former Indian football captain Harjinder Singh, who is a coach at the state-run Chandigarh Football Academy, said, “The association is doing nothing here. It lacks programme, proper training schedule and promotion of the game,” said Harjinder Singh.

He said, “Without regular practice or competitions how can one expect a good show by our players.” CFA president , however, said: “I am out of city and will comment on the issue once I am back.”