Chandigarh, June 27
A majority of the treated patients at drug de-addiction centres in the country fall prey to relapse and return to the fold of drug menace due to lack of rehabilitation schemes for them as well as proper follow-up.

This was stated by Prof Anil Malhotra, department of psychiatry, here today.

Though the situation had improved a lot during the past as around 45 per cent of patient relapsed after receiving the treatment in comparison to 80 per cent some years ago, still much more had to be done in this direction, said Professor Malhotra.

Drug addiction had increased at an alarming rate in the country during the past six years. However, the consolation was that more and more people were coming forward to get rid of the menace, he said.

A total of 1,063 new patients visited the drug de-addiction and treatment centre at the PGI last year while just 453 new patients came to the centre in 2000, he said.

More than 20,000 hardcore drug addicts were residing in the city and its satellites towns Mohali and Panchkula, he added.

Sunita Sibbal, chairperson of drug de-addiction, Art of Living, Chandigarh chapter, who held a camp at the DTDC, PGI, said: “We have planned to teach some exercises to patients here so that after recuperating here they don’t get back to this menace.”

The chapter would visit villages around the city to find drug addicts and counsel them with the help of village sarpanches and their families also, added Sibbal.

Chandigarh, June 27
A lethal spell by Gurkirat Walia (5 for 45) enabled Sector 16 Cricket Stadium XI to lift the trophy beating Guru Nanak Public School Academy (GNPSA) by 31 runs in the final of the Hot Weather Cricket Tournament at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here today.

On the batting front, Amit Prashar and Simrat Bawa rose to the occasion with their valuable 104-run opening wicket stand. Both chipped in identical 49 runs.

Batting first, Stadium XI accumulated 237 runs for 8 wickets in 45 overs. Openers Amit Prashar and Simrat Bawa gave a solid start to the team with their top class knocks of 49 runs each. Amit faced 58 balls whereas Bawa took 74 deliveries. Gourav Gambhir was the other valuable contributor with his unbeaten 45-run knock.

For the GNPSA, Karanveer was the maximum wicket taker as he snapped six wickets for 47. But his performance went in vain with the loss of the team.

Chasing the target, the GNPSA could make only 206 for 9 in the allotted overs. Starting on a poor note, the team lost their opener Uday Kaul (1) at the total of three.

Top scorer Gourav Gupta (76 runs) and Vishwas Bhalla (69) stitched a 90-run partnership to provide consolidation to the team.

Shattering the dreams of the rivals with his clinical bowling spell, Walia took five wickets for 45 runs in 9 overs. Varun Khanna claimed 2 for 46.

Bipul Sharma contributed 18 and Ankit Kaushik remained not out 21.

Karanveer (bowler), Amit Prashar (batsman), Varun Khanna (fielder), Gourav Gambhir (all-rounder), Simrat Bawa (wicketkeeper) and Gurkirant Walia (man of the match) were declared the best players of the tournament.

Chandigarh chief engineer V.K. Bhardwaj distributed the prizes. Also present on the occasion were director (sports-cum-additional DC) Inderjit Singh Sandhu and joint director (sports) J.P.S. Sidhu. The tournament was organised by the Chandigarh sports department

Brief scores:
Sector 16 Stadium XI: 237 for 8 in 45 overs (Amit Prashar 49, Simrat Bawa 49, Anupam Ghambir 27, Gourav Gambhir 45 n.o.; Karanveer 6 for 47)

GNPSAcademy: 206 for 9 in 45 overs (Viswas Bhalla 69, Gourav Gupta 76, Ankit Kaushik 21 n.o.; Gurkirat Walia 5 for 45).

Chandigarh, June 27
Bhawna Sharma and Saroj Chaudhary from AG Haryana entered women’s singles final while Punjab accounts men captured both berths of men’s singles final in the ongoing North Zone IA and AD Badminton Tournament held at Sector 42 stadium here. In individual events which started today, Bhawna trounced Bharti Raina of J and K 21-2, 21-3 in a one-sided affair in the first semifinal encounter. Saroj Chaudhary outclassed Kiran Jyoti 21-1, 21-11 in another semifinal tie.

Both semifinals in men’s sections were keenly contested. Amit Sachdeva of Punjab earned a hard fought win over Deepak Saxena 21-17, 8-21, 22-20 in the first semis while his teammates Ashish Sharma beat Vijay Sharma 19-21, 21-4, 21-13.

In the men’s doubles event, Punjab pair Ashish Sharma and Amit got better of Haryana duo Raman and Parveen Sharma 21-9, 21-11. The UP pair Salil and Deepak went ahead by defeating Delhi duo Apinder and Sunil 21-5, 13-21, 21-13 in the two semifinals.

Meanwhile, Sudhir (Punjab) and Sarup Singh (Haryana) will fight for the top honours.

The results: Men’s singles (1st round): Shadab Akhtar (Haryana) b Jujhar (J&K) 21-10, 21-14; Arun (Delhi) beat Manoj Awasthi (HP) 21-10, 21-10; Sandeep Tiwari (UP) beat Sanjay (Haryana) 21-8, 21-7; and Vijay (HP) beat Kaushal (J&K) 21-10, 21-9; (2nd round): Deepak Saxena (UP) beat Shadab Akhtar (Haryana) 21-6, 21-4; Amit Sachdeva (Pb) b Manoj (HP) 21-12, 21-15; Vijay Sharma (Delhi) b Sandeep Tiwari (UP) 21-12, 14-21, 21-12; and Ashish Sharma (Pb) b vijay (HP) 21-15, 21-17.

Semifinals: Amit Sachdeva (Pb) b Deepak Saxena (UP) 21-17, 8-21, 22-20; and Ashish Sharma (Pb) b Vijay Sharma (Delhi) 19-21, 21-4, 21-13. Men’s doubles:(1st round): Raman and Parveen Sharma (Hr) b Jujhar and Kaushal (J&K) 21-10, 21-5; Salil and Deepak (UP) b Apinder and Sunil (Delhi) 21-5, 13-21, 21-13.

Women’s singles: Bhawna Sharma (Hr) b Bharti Raina (J&K) 21-2, 21-3; and Saroj Chaudhary (Hr) beat Kiran Jyoti (J&K) 21-1, 21-11. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 27
A half century (60) by Aayush Raj Soni enabled the host Edmund Rice Cricket Academy (ERCA) under-17 team to register a 92-run victory over the Kurukshetra District Cricket Association (KDCA) in the Edmund Rice Triangular Series being played at St John’s High School, Sector-26, here today.

Electing to bat first, Aayush Raj's 60 runs propelled the ERCA to put on 160 runs in the stipulated 30 overs. The other notable contributor was Amandeep with his 21 runs.

Chandigarh, June 27
The trials to select the Chandigarh State Senior Men Boxing team for the Federation Cup Boxing Championship to be held in Chennai from July 9 to 13 will be held at SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, on June 30 at 5.30 pm.

“Boxers already registered with the IABF are required to bring their medical book at the time of the trials. Only eight teams - the SSCB, the RSPB, Haryana, the AIP, Jharkhand, Delhi, Chandigarh and hosts Tamil Nadu have qualified to participate in the Federation Cup on the basis of their performance during the last Senior National Championship,” said C.K. Jerath, Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association’s general secretary. — TNS

Chandigarh, June 27
Roller flour mills and atta chakis in the city have been asked to install equipment to add folic acid and iron to the flour sold in the city. The mandatory orders are likely to be implemented from August.

The move forms part of the concept of food fortification proposed by the Chandigarh Roller Flour Mills Association. The Chandigarh administration has already agreed to the proposal.

To work out the modalities, a meeting of the association was today held with officials of the food and supplies department.

The need for food fortification was felt due to the problem of iron deficiency and its ill-effects. It has been found that when someone is found to be anaemic, the deficiency is already severe and entrenched. Even frank anaemia is not easy to detect without a blood test.

The initiative is based upon a similar model followed by Gujarat and implemented in the form of an elaborate and comprehensive food fortification programme, which met with huge success. “Once the machinery is in order, it will be compulsory for the roller flour mills to add ingredients in flour,” said an official.

Chandigarh, June 27
Targeting an additional income of around Rs 75 lakh per annum from sale of wheat, the UT Agricultural Marketing Board is planning to impose market fee on the commodity.

To impose a market fee at a rate of two per cent on the value of sale of produce from the purchaser, the board has already moved the case before agriculture secretary Krishna Mohan.

The market committee has been losing an annual income of around Rs 40 lakh in the absence of fee on wheat being brought by the producers for sale in the grain market, Sector 26.

The additional funds generated would fund the grain markets being developed by the board on 75 acres of land in Sector 39.

Under the official figures, 19, 788 quintal wheat had arrived in the Sector 26 mandi in 2004-2005, while 25,3348 quintal wheat had arrived during 2005-006.

A senior official said the board had been aggressively pursuing the matter with the Chandigarh administration. Currently, 40 per cent of the market fee went to the board under the existing rules.

Sources said earlier the administration had withdrawn the market fee in April, 2002 on the pattern of Punjab. The board had also proposed to levy market fee on timber and flowers.

Currently, the market committee Sector 26 is receiving market fee only from fruit sellers and commission agents on the sale of paddy and wheat. Sources said the issue of levying market fee had been hanging fire. The levying of the market fee was being blocked by the powerful traders’ lobby, which had been reportedly backed by major political parties all these years.