Leprosy is curable: treat early to prevent disability
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 7
The District Leprosy Society (DLS) Ludhiana, has been running a Modified Leprosy Elimination Campaign since the last month. In this campaign, medical officers from all the health centres of the district as well as para medical workers have been given reorientation training regarding the multi-drug treatment for curing leprosy. The treatment of leprosy has been simplified . The number of patients enrolled till date with DLS is around 4,000, out of which 25 patints are of Punjabi origin while the rest are migrant labourers. Ludhiana, being an industrial town, has a high migrant population from other states of India, where there are greater incidences of leprosy.

To curb the disease, societies have been organised at the district level, which conduct various programmes to control the disease. Information, education and communication (IEC) is the main instrument to disseminate knowledge among masses to encourage voluntary reporting of the patients at health centres. The main thrust is on early reporting and diagnosing to prevent deformities. The cardinal sign of leprosy is a light-coloured patch with numbness. If the treatment is started early, complications can be prevented besides fully treating the disease.

There are around one million cases of leprosy in the world, out of which 6-7 lakh are in India. WHO has declared that it would bring the ratio of leprosy from 3/10,0900 in the population to below 1/10,000, which would be considered as elimination of this disease,

Under IEC activities, DHS, Ludhiana, under the chairmanship of DC, has ben organising various skin camps from December 3, 2001 to December 7, 2001 at various migrant labour inhabited areas. Free medicines are to be disseminated at these camps, which are being organised with the co-operation of various non government organisations.

Annual sports meet of PNB
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, December 7
The Punjab National Bank Zonal Sports Committee will organise the 19th PNB Inter-region Sports Meet on December 8 here at the Athletics Grounds of the Punjab Agricultural University. Mr P.N. Khurana, General Manager, Punjab Zone, will be the chief guest and will inaugurate the meet at 9.30 am.

About 200 participants from eight regions of Punjab Zone i.e. Amritsar, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Ferozepore, Hoshiarpore, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Ludhiana are expected to participate in this meet.

The participants will take part in events like Athletics, Carrom, Cricket, Badminton, Table Tennis, Volley Ball, Basketball and Kho-Kho.

The prize distribution function will be held on December 9 at 1 p.m. at the PNB auditorium, Zonal Training Centre, Near Manju Cinema, Ludhiana.

The winners during this meet will represent the Punjab Zone in All India PNB Inter Zone Sports Meet to be held at Delhi from December 22 to December 29.

In order to organise this meet in a befitting manner and to inculcate the spirit of sportsmanship, PNB, Zonal Office, Ludhiana has formed a committee under the leadership of Mr Keshav Aggarwal, Deputy General Manager, Mr K I Singh , Senior Regional Manager, Ludhiana, Mr Chand Singh, Deputy Zonal Manager and Mr N .S. Jain, Chief Manager to look into the micro aspects of the meet.

Go-karting starts in city
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 7
After the National Games, a smaller version of Formula 1- 3 car racing is here thanks to JK tyres and the South City management, who have brought this adventurous game. A regional level championship would be held here from December 15 to December 16. Mr K.P.S. Gill, former DGP of Punjab Police, would formally inaugurate the championship. The final competition would be held in Delhi later.

The second largest track in India, of about 500 metre has been constructed here, first in Hyderabad. It is set up according to the international standards, claim promoters.

The joy of running a sports car, controlled by computer network, is worth experiencing. There are about 300,000 people enjoying karting every day in Europe today.

According to Mr P.K. Khurana, the sport is open for people in the age group of 12 years to 60 years of age. He said, “The regional championships, which are currently underway in other cities like Bombay and Calcutta, would be held at the Cyclone Raceway in South City from December 15 to 16.” The short-listed persons would be eligible to participate in the final to be held at New Delhi later.

Sports festival results
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, December 7
Sohan Singh of Mattomion village set up a blistering pace to win bullock cart race in the 21st Captain Manjeet Singh Gill Memorial Tournament being organised by the Gill Sports Club and Gram Panchayat at Dhamot village about 20 km from here today. Jaswinder Singh of Latala and Jhanda Singh of Bodrali village finished second and third, respectively. Iqbal of Daudhar and Sonu of Gadhuan came fourth and fifth, respectively.

In hockey (2nd round), Dhoorkot beat Lasada 2-1, Star Cub, Jalandhar, defeated Bahadurgarh 6-2, Thapar Academy, Jalandhar outclassed Kadoan 2-0, Ranian beat Sarih XI 2-1, Roomi beat Chandigarh 4-0 and Grewal academy, Kila Raipur outplayed Chichrali 2-0.

In football (2nd round), Barmalipur beat Majari 1-0, Askaripur beat Aluna Miana 3-1, Monpur beat Khanna 1-0 and Aluna Palla beat Payal 1-0.

In kabaddi (57 kg), Ghaloti beat Pataudi, Mahila Chowk beat Utala, Ramgarh Sardara beat Dhamot and Sihoda beat Raulay.

ADC orders takeover of encroached land
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 7
The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.R. Kaler, today ordered the takeover of encroached land in Matepur village in Jagraon subdivision. Presiding over the weekly sangat darshan programme at the Bachat Bhavan here today, Mr Kaler issued strict instructions to the officers to ensure that all the encroached land was retrieved and evicted of the illegal occupant.

This was following a complaint by Ms Yamunabai, the sarpanch of Matepur village that a person from the same village had encroached upon the government land. On inquiry it was found that the sarpanch had got the land vacated off the encroachers and subsequently taken the land in her possession. The ADC ordered that the land would not remain in anybody’s possession but will be under the custody of the government.

After the Punjab Government decided to legalise all encroachments and give property rights to those having occupied land, several cases of encroachments of the government land, with the obvious motive, had come up. The ADC asserted that such tendency should be stopped forthwith saying, “Encroachments cannot be encouraged”.

In a separate complaint, Mr Gurmeet Singh of the Bharatiya Kisan Union alleged that the parking contractor in Sabzi Mandi was overcharging from tempo drivers and rerhiwallahs. He alleged that instead of charging Rs 5 from the vehicle owners, they would sometimes charge as much as Rs 50. He disclosed that in case anyone resisted or protested they tried to threaten him. In some cases several vehicle owners were manhandled.

The parking contractor is allegedly being patronised by a senior Akali leader. The BKU leader claimed that earlier also an inquiry was ordered against the contractor for the same charges but even then the contractor managed to come out unscathed.