PGI canteens: the true story
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Openly flouting its original contract with the PGI, the UT Red Cross running canteens in PGI seems to have given out these canteens on contract to a private individual, whom they have designated as their ‘‘canteen manager’’.

The post, not listed in the Red Cross Society recruitment rules, is clearly a “self-styled post”, with the present incumbent, Mr Kuldip Singh, not being on the rolls of the Red Cross Society. Mr Kuldip Singh, however, begs to differ. ‘‘I am an employee of the Red Cross on a salary of Rs 1,500 and get a commission on one-third of the total profits which these canteens make.’’

‘‘There is not a single employee in the UT Red Cross called Kuldip Singh’’ informs an employee of UT Red Cross on condition of anonymity ‘‘He is, in fact, the one we have contracted out our canteens to in the PGI.’’

The result is that the quality of food and beverages being provided in the canteen is of extremely bad quality and the rule is simple, if you want better, you pay more. Basic ‘dal roti’ will cost you Rs 12, the PGI rate, but ‘real lunch’ which includes, salad and curd, will cost Rs 22. Exploiting the needy and bone-weary attendants of the patients, seems to be the rule here.

The condition of the outer canteen which provides snacks and tea to patients’ relatives round-the-clock is even worse. For two rupees, the quality of tea being provided is so bad that the private chai wallah who sits outside and is supposed to be making a profit out of the tea sales is giving much better quality tea. ‘‘How can you have the Red Cross tea? The contractor uses milk powder and milk laced with water,’’ informs a chemist shop-owner in the vicinity.

The chemist might just be right. The canteen gets a total of 48 kgs of milk each day (informed Verka) and if one were to calculate the total number of cups of tea which can be prepared from this of milk, keeping in view the standard listed by the PGI which says that 1.2 kgs of milk be used for 33 cups of tea, then this canteen cannot provide more than 872 cups in 24 hours, which is clearly not the case. Sources state that there are at least 2,000 cups of tea sold by this canteen every 24 hours.

PGI’s authorities concerned did not have any idea of what was going on right under their nose. ‘‘But where is the proof that the canteen has been contracted out to someone?’’, questioned Lieut Col (Retd) M.S. Sodhi, the estate manager of PGI, and also the in charge of these canteens from PGI.‘‘We get our licence fee, water, electricity bills payment from the Secretary, Red Cross,’’ seems to be his best defence.

Beyond having received the rent and the bills, no one in the PGI seems to have either bothered to try and consume the food and tea the canteen provides to test its quality nor question the canteen manager of Red Cross.

‘‘We will certainly look into the matter if someone were to complain to us. But in case they have contracted the canteen out, it is an objectionable matter which needs to be taken note of seriously,” states Mr Sodhi. 

PGI holds interviews
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Interviews for the 13 posts of Lower Division Clerk and six posts of Data Entry Operator (Grade A) were held at the PGI today. Following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the results of the interviews have been sealed till further orders.

As many as 3,200 candidates had applied for these posts. Given the large number of candidates, the PGI decided to conduct a preliminary test on July 8. Candidates who were selected in the test were called for a qualifying typing test. A total of 43 candidates qualified the typing test and were called for final interviews today.

The initial information given by the PGI authorities stated that 80 per cent weightage would be given to the test and only 20 per cent for the interview. This was to ensure that there was a minimal chance of any irregularity in the selection procedure.

Some candidates along with the secretary of the PGI’s technologists’ association had earlier lodged a complaint with the Union Minister of Health, who is also the President of the PGI, that the test had been conducted in the most unfair manner.

The minister had marked a query to the administration but the query was subsequently dismissed by the ministry.

SPORTS

Basketball meet opens
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, October 29
New Public School, Sector 18, and Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, surged ahead by winning their respective matches on the opening day of the fourth Jai Singh Memorial Basketball Tournament, for under-19 boys being played here today at New Public School, Sector 18. The team of SD Public School, Sector 32, also won its match today.

NPS-18 defeated Guru Harkishan Public school, Sector 38, 65-32, with half time score of 37-19. The scorers were: (winners) : Akshay 24, Munish 22, Ashish six pts; losers: Sunny 14, Thakur Singh 13 points.

The team of SDP-32 defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33, 65-29, with half time score of 36-18. The scorers were: (winners): Pardeep 18, Rajdeep 17 and Sunil 12 points. losers: Sunil Yadav and Hardeep-eight points each.

In another match, SPS-41 got the better of St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, 74-47, with half time score of 38-20. Parveen was the top scorer for winners. He netted 24 points, followed by Rajbir with 18 points and Vinod with 13 points. Jasdeep and Harinder netted 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Football team: Mukesh Kumar of the Chandigarh Police will be the captain of the UT senior football team which will take part in the 57th Senior National Football Championship to be held at Mumbai from November 1 to 17. The team is: Vinay Kanwar, Hemant, Jitender Singh, Rajiv Rattan, Sanjeev, Suraj, Virender Kanwar, Amrit, Sanjeev Kumar, Sunil, Anil Saini, Gurminder Singh, Amrit Bharat, Amit Kapoor, Chandan, Ajay, Mandeep and B. Singh. Suresh and Deepak Seth would accompany the team as manager and coach, respectively.

Lawn tennis trials: The UT Sports department will hold selection trials for both men and women sections to select the UT Civil Services lawn tennis team for the All-India Civil Services Tennis Meet to be held at Chandigarh from November 5 to 10. Trials will be held on November 2 at the tennis stadium, Sector 10. 

Gross score title for Sandy Lehal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 29
Sandy Lehal returned a par card of 72 to clinch the gross score title in the monthly medal round for October held at the Chandigarh Golf Club course on Sunday. Two strokes behind was Gurbaaz Mann, who finished gross runner up.

The following are the results in the other sections

Nett winner (below 50 years): Col K. J. Singh (71) 1. Vikramjit Singh (71) 2.

Nett winner (50 to 65 years): ;Bhupinder Singh (70) 1, Col Harkirat Singh (70) 2.

Nett winner (65 to 70 years): Gp Capt M.S. Sahota (35) 1, Lt-Gen K.S.Gill (35) 2.

Nett winner (Above 70 years): S.D. Kaila (37) 1, J.S. Aurora (42) 2.