23032026-CT-01.qxd 3/23/2026 12:30 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune GUV KATARIA ASSURES CITY TRADERS OF SIMPLER RULES NANDINI SET FOR INDIA DEBUT AT ASIA CUP POP ICON SHAKIRA’S INDIA CONCERTS POSTPONED The administration to take steps and relax rules to make Chandigarh a “business-friendly” city. P3 Striker-turned-goalkeeper Nandini picked in the 24-member squad for AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup. P3 Events were scheduled for Mumbai on April 10 & Delhi on April 15. Ticket holders will receive refund. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 72 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Tribune News Service APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF WOMAN’S BODY FOUND IN MALOYA Mohali: The body of a woman was found at a colony in Maloya on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Reena, a native of Uttar Pradesh. She lived in Maloya with her husband and worked at a nearby shop. Local residents alleged that the family members attempted to take the body to Uttar Pradesh. Someone informed the police. TNS Godown gutted in Baltana Tribune News Service Zirakpur, March 22 A fire broke out at a tin shed where furniture was stored in the Baltana main market on Sunday morning. Goods worth lakhs were destroyed in the blaze. No one was injured in the incident. The furniture godown was owned by Shaukat Ali. Two fire tenders reached the spot and controlled the fire. The cause of the fire was suspected to be short-circuit. Fire Officer Rajiv Sharma said he received information about the fire around 10:30 am. He immediately sent two fire vehicles to the spot and the blaze was brought under control within half an hour. Several illegal godowns built without permission have come up across the Baltana area. Chandigarh, March 22 While the UT is striving to become a model sustainable city, the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has been awaiting the MC’s nod for the installation of 15 more charging stations for electric vehicles for the past three months. The UT Administration is aiming for 1.26 crore tonnes of carbon footprint reduction by 2030. Keeping in view the growing number of electric vehicles, CREST has decided to expand its network of charging stations across the city. According to officials, a survey was conducted by the society in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation (MC) to identify six alternative and 15 new sites. Subsequently, a letter was written to the MC to seek a final approval for the identified sites on December 3 last year. A reminder was sent on February 18, 2026, but the approval is still awaited, stated the officials. Under the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) initiative, CREST has installed EV charging sta- A charging station at Sector 20, Chandigarh. PARDEEP TEWARI tions at 36 locations along with 16 battery swapping stations (BSS) across Chandigarh. Out of these, 32 locations have fast chargers. The officials stated that the MC had earlier accorded its approval to 39 sites, out of which charging stations were set up at 36. Three sites each under the MC and the Engineering Department were found unsuitable for installation of charging stations. Thus, six alternative sites were identified in a fresh survey for the charging stations. On generation of revenue from the EV charging stations, the officials stated that revenue of nearly Rs 1 crore was earned from May 2024 to November 2025. Further, lease rent of nearly Rs 25.95 lakh was earned out which Rs 12.39 lakh has been deposited with the MC and the remaining of the lease rent would be released shortly. The officials said the city had emerged as one of the leading regions in the country for electric vehicle adoption, driven by its progressive Electric Vehicle Policy, 2022. Through financial incentives, waiver of road tax and registration fees, and simplified digital processes, the Chandigarh Administration has encouraged citizens, commercial operators and fleet 3rd shooting incident in week, juvenile opens fire at friend Assailant arrested, countrymade pistol recovered Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 22 In the third firing incident in less than a week, a 16year-old boy fired a shot at his friend in Sector 38-A on Sunday evening. He was nabbed within two hours, the police said. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur told The Tribune that a PCR call reporting the firing was received at 4:51 pm, following which police teams rushed to House No. 79, Sector 38-A. The victim, also a juvenile, had come to visit his uncle when the assailant fired at him on the road. “Acting promptly on CCTV footage and manual intelligence, the accused juvenile was arrested and a country- made pistol recovered from his possession,” said the SSP , adding that the reason behind the firing was a fight between two juveniles earlier. No one was injured. Sunday’s incident is the third shooting to strike the city since March 18, raising fresh questions about law and order in the Union Territory. The most alarming of the earlier incidents was the broad daylight murder of property dealer Chamanpreet Singh, alias Chini, outside Bodyzone Gym in Sector 9 on March 18. Two unidentified gunmen arrived on a scooter and pumped approximately 11 bullets into the victim, who was sitting in his SUV. He had reportedly been receiv- ing extortion calls prior. A separate shooting was also reported at Panjab University around the same period. The UT police moved swiftly in the Sector 9 case, arresting two key accused — Piyush Pehelwan, a native of Ferozepur, and Pritam Shah, a resident of Nawanshahr — within 30 hours, following a brief encounter by the Punjab AGTF in Kaithal, Haryana. Both have been identified as close associates of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial of the Bambiha gang. The weapon and motorcycle used in the crime were recovered from their possession. The Sector 38-A firing case, though far less grave in consequence, has added to mounting security concerns in the city. Another AAP councillor joins Congress Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 22 Ward number 17 (Sectors 22 and 23) councillor from AAP Damanpreet Singh today joined the Congress at a function held at the party office in Sector 35. He is the second AAP councillor to join the Congress. Earlier, Premlata joined the Congress on February 23 along with Ritu Chhabra, wife of former city Mayor and other leaders. Her husband, late Pradeep Chhabra, was a senior leader of the Congress and had remained the city unit president for seven years. City Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky said former AAP state general secretary and incumbent treasurer of the District Bar Association, Sector 43, Ujjwal Bhasin, also FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Eyeing maiden IPL title UT among leading cities in EV adoption; 21K registered so far Dushyant Singh Pundir WHAT’S ON MAX 27°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 28.1°C | MIN 13.1°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.22 AM /THETRIBUNECHD 3 months on, society awaits nod for 15 EV charging units MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET MONDAY 6.35 PM » MONDAY | 23 MARCH 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST AAP councillor Damanpreet Singh (second from left) joins the Congress in Sector 35, Chandigarh, on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY joined the Congress along with advocate Vishal Sharma and Yuvraj Asht. Lucky said inspired by the Congress policies, ideology and the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, more leaders from other parties would also join the Con- gress in the coming days. While addressing the gathering, Damanpreet said he left AAP because its city unit was in a disarray. All affairs in the party were decided from Delhi or Punjab. His name was finalised for the post of Mayor but another candi- date’s name was announced just before voting. The local leaders cannot take any decision at their own level. He described the moment as a “homecoming”. Earlier, he, along with late Pradeep Chhabra, had left the Congress but now he has realised that it is the right platform to serve his ward and the city effectively. Earlier, two AAP councillors Suman Sharma and Poonam had joined the BJP just before the mayoral election. Contesting the MC elections for the first time in 2021, AAP had won 14 seats to become the single largest party in the 35-member House. The BJP emerged victorious in 12 wards and the Congress in eight. Akali Dal candidate Hardeep Singh also won but he later joined AAP . c m y b owners to shift towards electric mobility. So far, Rs 36.69 crore has been disbursed among 5,980 beneficiaries as electric vehicle incentive. Also EV charging station incentive of Rs 1.95 crore has been given to 39 beneficiaries. Recently, CREST has been conferred with the prestigious Most EV-Ready City — Policy & Infrastructure Leadership Award at the second National Mobility Awards Summit 2026 held in Hyderabad. The award was presented to CREST for Chandigarh’s exemplary efforts in advancing electric mobility. Chandigarh has earlier bagged the Gold Award for Best Union Territory for EV – Overall at the Motoring World Green Mobility Awards-2025 held in Delhi. CREST has been instrumental in implementing the city’s EV policy, promoting clean transportation and accelerating EV adoption across multiple segments. So far, nearly 21,000 electric vehicles, including twowheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, commercial vehicles, have been registered in the city. Punjab Kings players Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer train on their home ground in Mullanpur. The team will open its IPL season on March 31, playing against Gujarat Titans. UT no-flying zone from March 23 to 28 Chandigarh, March 22 In view of VVIP movement during the air show at Sukhna Lake from March 27 to 28, District Magistrate (DM) Nishant Kumar Yadav has declared the UT a “no-flying zone” for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the orders issued by the DM, in view of emerging threats from antinational elements and to ensure the security of VVIPs and general public, the entire UT will be “no flying zone” for drones and UAVs from March 23 to 28, under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. However, this order will not be applicable to law enforcement agencies, including the police, paramilitary forces, Air Force, SPG personnel and those authorised by a competent government authority. The IAF’s Surya Kiran team will perform at Sukhna Lake. –TNS