HEALTH

Docs resent govt attitude over ACRs
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 28
Resentment prevails among district PCMS doctors over the attitude of health officials at the time of reporting of annual confidential reports (ACRs) for the previous year.

The doctors also expressed their concern over the recent purchase of insufficient medicines and unwanted bulk material by the District Health Department.

An emergency meeting of PCMS doctors to discuss all these issues was held under the presidentship of Dr Hardeep Singh at ESI Hospital here yesterday.

Talking to reporters, Dr Balwinder Kumar, District General Secretary of the PCMSA, told that the association doubted the integrity of the Health authorities in the process of ongoing meetings at the block levels, regarding the ACRs. Dr Kumar said all reporting officials were deliberately delaying the initiation of ACRs for the previous reporting year 2003-2004. The ACRs were being openly discussed in the outgoing meetings at the block levels. The doctors, without any of their fault, were being threatened by the health officials. Instead of the prescribed performa of ACR by Punjab Government, an illegal performa (annexure B) was being forced to be filled for ACR, said Dr Kumar.

SPORTS

NRI to sponsor National B’ball Championship
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, April 28
The 55th Senior National Basketball Championship slated to be held here in the last week of December this year will be sponsored by an NRI, Mr Harjinder Singh Dhanoa. The formal announcement in this regard was made by Mr Dhanoa himself today. He was presiding over a function organised at the Guru Nanak Stadium to mark the first anniversary of the Baba Lodhiana Basketball Academy. The academy is being run by the Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) in association with the Punjab Sports Department and has been sponsored by Mr Dhanoa.

Mr Dhanoa also announced an enhancement of Rs 1 lakh in the funds allocated to the academy. Last year, when the academy was started, a total of 24 trainees, including 16 boys, were selected. These extraordinarily tall boys and girls have been provided free boarding and lodging arrangements by the PBA. These cagers have made their presence felt at the national and international meets during the past one year.

Mr Singh who had announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the academy last year said he was very much impressed with the performance of the trainees of the academy. He appreciated the trainees for excelling at national and international level tournaments.

Mr Dhanoa further said besides basketball, he was also assisting in promoting hockey and wrestling in the state and was extending help to the associations concerned.

The cagers, enrolled with the academy were introduced to Mr Dhanoa who praised them for their achievements during the past one year.

Mr Rajdeep Singh Gill, Mr Teja Singh Dhaliwal, president and general secretary, respectively, of the PBA, along with Mr Naunihal Singh, SSP, Vigilance, Ms Surinder Dhir, former Deputy Director, Sports Punjab, Mr Sohan Lal Lotey , District Sports Officer and coaches of the sports department were present on the occasion.