Chandigarh, May 11
With an aim to tap the growing organised healthcare sector in India, Dr Ajay Sharma, an ophthalmologist entrepreneur, along with Rajat Goel, a management graduate from the IIM-A, has planned to set up 30 eye hospitals and 70 affiliated centres throughout the country over the next five years.

The superspecialty chain, to come up under the brand name of EYE-Q, will operate on the hub-and-spoke model. One fully equipped hospital in a larger city would constitute a hub while smaller hospitals equipped with most, but not all facilities, in towns within 40-50 km would be attached to it, said Rajat while talking mediapersons here today.

With plans for a Rs 240-crore investment over the next five years, the first phase of the project had already become operational as a hospital was functioning at DLF in Gurgaon and two small hospitals to be attached to it would be operational at Rewari and Dwarka within six months, said Rajat.

Highlighting the need for eye hospitals in India, Dr Ajay Sharma, chief medical director of EYE-Q, said, “It is a known fact that there is a growing need for quality eye care in the country, especially with increasing incidence of cataract, diabetes and lifestyle-related eye disorders.”

Chandigarh, May 11
Twelve girls are among 51 boxers selected by an expert panel constituted by the Punjab sports department to promote the sport at the grass roots in the state.

The players have been selected under the sports wing seat scheme from different schools and colleges of the state. The players were selected during trials.

The girls, two of whom are under 19 years of age, will be imparted scientific training at the sports coaching centre at Ghanaurikalan, near Dhuri, in Sangrur district.

According to state sports minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, 14 boys will get residential training at the sports wing of Khalsa Collegiate Senior Secondary School, Amritsar.

A total of 18 boys have been allotted seats in the Amritsar school. Four are day scholars in the school.

The sports wing seats have also been allotted to Coaching Centre, Khanna (9), Sant Isher Singh Public School, Mohali (7), Government Senior Secondary School, Bhunerheri, Patiala (6), and Government Senior Secondary School, Sunam, Sangrur (9).

Sports director Pargat Singh said if any talented boxer was left out due to unavoidable circumstances, they could be considered by the panel.

Those short-listed are: Sports wing, Sant Isher Singh Public School, Mohali: All day scholars: under-19: Bhawan Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Harinderjit Singh and Sorabh Sharma; under-17: Sunny, Barinder Singh and Sandeep Singh.

Sports wing, Government Senior Secondary School, Bhunerheri (Patiala): All day scholars: under-19: Amandeep Singh, Barinder Singh, Jatinder Singh; under-17: Baljinder Singh, Angrez Singh; under-14: Sukhvir Singh.

Khalsa Collegiate Senior Secondary School, Amritsar: Jagpal Singh, Sanampal Singh, Jasdeep Singh (under-19 regular), Gurinder Singh (under-19 day scholar), Gurbhej Singh, Captain Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Harmandeep Singh, Sukhraj Singh, Jagroop Singh, Maninder Singh (under-17 regular), Joga Singh (under-17 day scholar), Vicky Singh, Arjun Singh (under-17 day scholar), Jatinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Varinder Singh (under-17 regular), Jaswinder Singh (under-17 day scholar).

Coaching Centre, Khanna (Ludhiana): All day scholars: under-19: Surinder Singh, Munish Yadav, Amit Sharma, Rakesh Kumar; under-17: Diljotinder Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Arun Kumar, Varinder Singh and Ashish Sharma.

Sports wing, Government Senior Secondary School, Sunam (Sangrur): All day scholars: under-19: Balkar Singh, Gurjit Singh; under-17: Gurpreet Singh, Bunti Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Ranjit Singh; under-14: Sonu Kumar, Vicky Gir, Gagandeep Singh.

Sports wing (girls) Ghanaurikalan, Dhuri (Sangrur): All day scholars: under-19: Karamjeet Singh, Nirmaljeet Kaur; under-17: Ramandeep Kaur, Dharamvir Kaur; under-14: Lakhdeep Kaur, Jashandeep Kaur, Amandeep Sharma, Harpreet Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur, Sukhpreet Kaur, Indereet Kaur and Amritpal Kaur.

Chandigarh, May 11
Anandit Joshi grabbed the first two frames to beat Sandeep Kochhar in the best-of-three frame snooker match during the sixth Saurabh Khattar Memorial Billiards and Snooker Championship, at Chandigarh Club, here, today.

While Anandit had to fight hard in the first frame to grab it 57-40, the second frame saw some easy pickings for him, winning the frame 62-16.

In another tie, Sandeep Chadha got the better of Vishal Gupta 2-1 in a thrilling encounter.

Vishal clinched the first frame easily (61-39), while Sandeep came back strongly to put the second frame in his name 66-10.

Maintaining the winning spree, he clinched the third and the deciding frame 67-34. The final score read in favour of Sandeep 39-61, 66-10, 67-34.

In another tie, Ajay Singla beat Gurpreet Batra 2-0. The score stood at 67-37, 43-30.

Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh sports department will organise a month-long hot weather open cricket tournament at the cricket stadium, Sector 16, from May 23.

According to a press note issued here today, the matches will be played on knock-out basis under the rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The matches will begin at 7 am.

Cash prizes and running trophies for winners and runners-up will be awarded.

Entries, without any fee, can be sent to Naib Singh, senior manager of cricket stadium, Sector 16, or cricket coach Nagesh Gupta at St John’s School, Sector 26, before May 21.

Chandigarh, May 11
Sixteen-year-old Rahul Bakshi clinched the Chief Commissioner’s Cup when he edged out IGU selector and former course captain Sandeep Sandhu in the final, finishing two-up in an open match play, which went up to the 17th hole, at the Chandigarh Golf Club here today.

Rahul, who retained the trophy, is all set to fly to Hong Kong tomorrow to play in a pro circuit.

The Chief Commissioner’s Cup is the oldest trophy of the club that has among its winners Chiranjeev Milkha Singh and Harmeet Kahlon.

Rahul started well, parring in the first hole as against Sandeep’s bogey to be one-up. He struck again on the fourth hole to make it two-up. Sandeep pulled back 
on the fifth.

On the sixth, Rahul hit a tree, yet he birdied. Bobby also sank a birdie.

Both players hit the tree on the seventh. But while Rahul’s ball dropped there, Sandeep’s shot saw the ball going out of bounds. At the midway stage, Rahul was leading by two strokes.

Rahul took a three-stroke lead as his chip hit the pin and fell in for a birdie.

Rahul struck a bad patch bogeying on the 14th and 15th. With Sandeep returning par scores, Rahul’s lead came down to just one stroke.

After sharing the score on the 16th, Sandeep sent his ball flying into the fairway bunker on the 17th hole. This dropped shot saw Rahul take an unbeatable two-stroke lead on the 17th hole to clinch the cup.

Chandigarh, May 11
Giving competition to one another is what has kept these two sisters going and motivated them enough to earn a name for themselves at the national level in handball.

For 19-year-old Neelam and her two-year younger sister Jyoti competition began at home when they were younger.

“The spirit of competing with one another was imbibed at home. I took up handball after Neelam started bringing certificates in various competitions. This motivation was enough for me to try my hands at the sport. I had no specific interest in the sport before that,” says Jyoti.

Sharing her views on what prompted her to take up the sport, Neelam says: “I happened to be a handball player by chance. When I was in Class VII, almost all my friends in the class used to play handball and I used to watch them from outside the ground. Once, the school handball team went to play an inter-school match at Ludhiana, and I was left alone in the class. It was then that I decided to try my hand at the sport and I liked it.”

And what better way to start one’s career but with three wins in a row. “Our team consequently held the second position in the under-19 inter-school handball tournament (2002-2004). We made it to the first spot in the inter-school meet of 2005. But not before we won the junior tournament in 2004,” exclaimed 
Neelam.

“I too was part of the team in 2004, when the team won the junior tournament”, adds Jyoti.

“We look so identical that even our coach found it hard to address us with our correct names,” 
she said.

Mohinder Singh, who has been coaching the girls, is all praise for the two. “Yes, I had problems addressing them with their right names. Both sisters are full of energy and always keen on learning new things. This attitude will stand them in good stead in the future.”

Jyoti, too, has made her presence felt by making a mark at three national events. “I participated in three national handball championships between 2004 and 2005. It was a good learning experience,” she says.

Both admit that sport has a long way to go before it really gets 
popular but are happy that the sport is recognised and has earned them sports gradation certificates.

Neelam says: “The certificates will help us get admission to the academic courses of our choice in the future and if every thing goes well, we may get lucky and get some job because of these.”

Neelam wishes to serve in railways, services, customs or even the police department, while Jyoti plans to pursue engineering or information technology.

“I may join a course to polish my English speaking skills,” quips Jyoti.

Chandigarh, May 11
Even as the tug-of-war between the Chandigarh administration and minister of state for finance Pawan Bansal over mega projects continues unabated, the trade and industry of the city has rallied behind the administration, terming the projects as the “need of the hour and in public interest”.

In the backdrop of Bansal writing a letter to the UT administrator, urging him to go slow on the mega projects, the Chandigarh Industrial Association (CIA) and the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM) today shot off a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi endorsing the development projects, including the water theme park, film city, education city, IT park and phase III of the industrial area.

“The city has been propelled by the Chandigarh administration into the fast track of growth and allround development which has brought it on the international map. A majority of the population comprising the youth, the middle class and economically weaker sections have issues other than architectural issues like world-class education, housing and job opportunities, which if ignored today, can lead to major socio-economic problems,” Charanjiv Singh and M.P.S. Chawla, CBM and CIA presidents, respectively, said here today.

Earlier, Bansal had cautioned the administration to tread carefully on its development plans in the city which could lead to chaos, particularly in terms of human rush on the roads near Sarangpur and overcrowding of the periphery.

The Sarangpur area was going to house many such projects, which would naturally going to be one of the biggest concentrations of human traffic, Bansal had argued.

He said: “The original plan of the city is being altered which is in contravention of the edict of Chandigarh. Every square inch of agricultural land in the city should not be converted into a concrete jungle,” Bansal pleaded.

The differences between the UT administrator and the minister over the development of city are well-known and the letter of industry and trade representatives would only intensify the differences between the administration and the local MP, sources said.

Trade leaders claimed that certain developmental issues were more compelling than the architectural issues which were being raised by a small section of society as the core issues.

This was being guided by purely personal agenda with a few feudal/elitist mindsets trying to subvert the process of growth by projecting architectural issues, the letter added.

The mega projects of the administration had been highly appreciated by residents and the business community of the city, the letter said, adding that the projects should not allowed to be sabotaged by anyone as a result of personal vendetta.

Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh administration, after working on certain modalities, has revived the old transfer policy for school principals, headmasters, lecturers, masters, JBT teachers and nursery teachers for the academic session 2007-08.

The education department will shortly invite applications for transfers from eligible teachers as per the policy.

As per the policy, principals will be transferred after eight years' stay at one place. Lecturers, masters, JBT teachers and other category teachers can be transferred after putting in 10 years of service in a school.

Government Teachers Union general secretary Vinod Sharma said, “We were in favour of a 10-year span for transferring teachers, but our emphasis was on five-year stay for principals.”

“If we follow the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines, there is a rotational three-year criterion, so five-year stay for principals was reasonably good,” said Harbir Anand, president of the union.

The UT Teachers Union lauded the decision of the administration regarding this policy.

However, teachers who have put in more than three years of service in one school can be shifted on request, for which their results will be taken into consideration.

While transferring heads of schools or teachers on administrative grounds, the genuineness of the request will be considered and where the results of the teachers are extremely poor, the period of stay will not be applicable.

For transferring teachers from villages on request, they should have completed two years’ stay and those who have not served in schools of rural areas will be transferred in their place. A teacher can give as many options as he/she wants in the order of priority for place of transfer.

However, no mid-term transfer will be made except on administrative grounds. Teachers retiring within a year or less will not be disturbed.