The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

‘Blood bank working properly’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17
Dr S.K. Agnihotri, Professor and Head of the Department of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology, PGI, said today that the blood bank at the PGI was functioning properly.

In a communication, she said the blood bank at the PGI remained open round the clock to cater to the needs of patients at the PGI and other hospitals in and around the city.

Relatives of patients from the region came to donate and collect blood and blood components from this blood bank. A team of doctors and technicians worked round the clock in four shifts to see that the demand of blood was met.

Van given to centre for physically challenged
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17
The State Resource Centre for Disabilities, UT, Chandigarh, has been equipped with a mobile van under the National Programme for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

The keys of a Toyota Qualis van were handed over by Mr G.K. Marwaha, Secretary, Social Welfare, UT, to Prof Raj Bahadur, Medical Superintendent, Government Medical College and Hospital, who is also Nodal Officer, State Resource Centre.

With the availability of the van at the State Resource Centre, said Prof Raj Bahadur, it would now be possible to take care of the disabled in a better way.

SPORTS

Basketball title for Dev Samaj girls
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, October 17
IS Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, bagged the under-14 girls basketball title by beating Government Model school, Sector 26, 27-24, in a match of the UT Inter-School Sports Meet here today. Government High School, Sector 7, secured third place in the under-14 kabaddi section. In the hockey final, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, 4-0.Three of these goals were scored by Prakash Chaudhary while the fourth one was scored by Suman.

In the under-17 handball matches played today, GMSSS-21 defeated SGGGS-26, GMSSS-8 defeated GNPS-36. In the under-14 section, GMSSS-18 beat GMSSS-35, 6-2; GNPS-36 b GMSSS-21, 2-1; and GMSSS-19 b GMHS-42, 3-0.

Football meet

The Chandigarh Senior Women Football Championships for the Deepak Kapania trophy will begin here on Thursday at the football stadium, Sector 17. According to Mr Rakesh Bakshi, Secretary, Chandigarh Football Association, five teams have confirmed their participation in the tournament. Matches will be played on league- cum-knockout basis. The first match will start at 2 pm on Thursday.

ADMINISTRATION

Board to issue I-card to mentally challenged
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17
The Chandigarh Administration has constituted an Additional Disability Board at the Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children for issuing disability certificates to mentally handicapped persons and children.

The Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children has also been authorised to issued photo identity cards to mentally handicapped persons for availing various benefits, including income tax concession, job reservation for disabled persons, railway and bus concession, loan, disability pension and various other benefits.

In order to get this the mentally challenged child and persons alongwith their guardian should report at the reception counter of GIMRC on working days (except second Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm). The reception clerk will make an OPD card. The senior resident and social worker (Room No 1) in the clinic for mentally challenged will evaluate the child on the same day. A form for applying for the photo identity card will also be given to the person by the social worker. The person will then be referred to the clinical psychologist (Room No. 2) for IQ testing.

The guardian accompanying the child or person will deposit the complete form to the social worker alongwith one passport size photograph and IQ certificate of the child or persons as the case may be. Most of these formalities are likely to be completed on the same day.

The disability board will meet on each Wednesday to examine the eligibility for issuing the disability certificate which is mandatory for national photo identity card. The child or person will be given a date for collecting the national photo identity card alongwith a pass book by the social worker. It is likely to take seven to 10 days. The applicant is also required to bring a proof of date of birth and recent passport size photograph.

Property conversion move hailed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17
Praising the Chandigarh Administration for its move to allow conversion from leasehold to freehold for commercial and industrial property, Samadhaan, a pressure group for social justice, today said there was need to change outdated laws and policies.

Samadhaan said a series of such public-friendly decisions taken at the level of the Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), had not seen the light of the day due to lack of formal notification. Citing an example a press note said the delay in notifying the Apartment Act was a case in point.

The decision of the Administrator to consider date of sewerage connection as the date of completion of buildings took about eight months for formal notification after the Administrator’s declaration. Even the formula of charging one-time fee for allowing the conversion of leasehold to freehold system was high.

The press note said reforming policies could not give desired results if taken in isolation. Freehold ownership was linked with easy transferability of property in the name of intending purchaser for raising funds. The conversion of property was closely linked to the Apartment Act for easy affordability of the buyer. Similarly the rationalisation of stamp duty has vital linkages with all reforms. Speedy notifications meant curtailing of red tape, Samadhaan said, while urging for comprehensive policy on all related issues.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Small Scale Industries welcomed the conversion move . Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president of the federation, said this would fulfil longpending demands of the federation. The secretary of the federation , Mr Rajeev Gupta added that this decision would generate a lot of funds for the Administration and would help industrial units to easily mortgage their property. The federation asked the Administration to involve the affected parties while arriving at a decision on rules, regulations, and charges for converting leasehold property into freehold.

The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal convened a special meeting to convey its thanks to the Administration for initiating the move of converting property. A press note of the mandal said it had high hopes from the Administration to bring out and notify the Apartment Act for commercial property. It urged upon the Administration to have a reasonable rate for conversion.

Booths fetch 3.71 crore for PUDA
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, October 17
A revenue of Rs 3.71 crore was earned by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) at an open auction of built-up booths in the town. All 57 booths which were put under hammer was sold.

An official of PUDA said in Sector 48, a revenue of Rs 91. 45 lakh was earned by selling 15 corner booths. A booth in the Sector was sold for Rs 7.20 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 3.96 lakh. Another booth was sold for Rs 3.50 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 2.31 lakh.

In Sector 66, all 42 booths were sold for over Rs 2.80 crore. The highest bid was attracted by a booth which was sold for Rs 10.45 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 3.84 lakh. Another booth was sold for Rs 5.30 lakh against a reserved price of Rs 3.84 lakh.