01042026-CT-01.qxd 4/1/2026 12:40 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune GB LEGENDS LOG VICTORY IN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP TOP SEED CHARCHIT IN TENNIS QUARTERFINAL ENJOY AUTHENTIC PAHADI CUISINE AT SIYARAM SIDDU GB Legends Chandigarh register second consecutive win by defeating Army Service Corps 9-5. P3 Chandigarh’s Charchit Boora enters U-16 quarterfinal by recording 6-3, 6-3 win over Haryana’s Parth. P3 Siyaram Siddu offers mouth-watering siddus at its outlets at Panthaghati, Theog, Fagu and The Mall, Shimla. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 87 PANCHKULA 80 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH PLAY: ‘Honey vs Money’, a hilarious play in Hindi; Tagore Theatre, Sector 18; 6 pm EXHIBITION: Concluding day of Tricity photojournalists’ photo exhibition; Sector 1716 underpass; 11 am to 6 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Acid attack victims to get monthly aid of ~10K in UT MAX 35°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 33.1°C | MIN 16.5°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:11 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE All set for voter roll revision in city MC makes 4-bin waste system mandatory, Date for Special Intensive Revision awaited from Election Commission warns of challans Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 31 Chandigarh is fully geared up for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls, with all arrangements in place and the exercise expected to commence in April, pending a formal notification of the date by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav said the SIR for the 01-Chandigarh Parliamentary Constituency is ready to roll out the moment the commission fixes the schedule. Chandigarh is among 22 states and Union Territories in the third phase of the nationwide SIR exercise ordered by the ECI. Chandigarh is among the 22 states and UTs , along with Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and others, to which the ECI wrote on February 19, direct- ing completion of all preparatory work for the SIR at the earliest, with the revision expected to begin in April. The constituency has 5,31,721 electors — 2,71,860 males, 2,59,837 females and 24 third-gender voters. Of these, 71 per cent have already been mapped in the pre-SIR exercise. The Chandigarh Administration has, however, flagged pending data on gibberish entries and non-standard photographs, and all Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) have been asked to submit ink-signed status reports on such entries at the earliest. During the SIR, Electoral Registration Officers and AEROs will deploy Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct door-to-door enumeration across the constituency. Enumeration forms will be distributed to all the existing electors either through the BLOs or made available for download on the official por- DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS ■ The documents to be submitted alongside the declaration form are linked to the elector’s date of birth. Those born in India before July 1, 1987, need to provide any document establishing their own date and/or place of birth. ■ Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must additionally furnish a similar document for either parent. ■ Voters born after December 2, 2004, are required to submit such documents for both parents, and if either parent is not an Indian national, a copy of that parent’s valid passport and visa at the time of the elector’s birth. tal. The BLOs will collect filled forms along with supporting documents and issue acknowledgement receipts. The electors, whose names do not appear in the electoral rolls of 2002 or 2003 in any state, will be served notices and required to appear for a hearing and submit prescribed documents. HELPLINE, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION A State/District Contact Centre has been set up at toll-free number 1950 to assist electors. The centre operates from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm on working days and will run round the clock during the SIR period. Complaints can also be lodged through the same number. Electors can additionally use the ‘Book a Call with BLO’ facility on the ECINet platform and the Voter Helpline app. The ECI has asked all political parties to appoint booth level agents (BLAs) at each polling station to enable early identification and correction of discrepancies. Training of BLAs will be conducted shortly and regular meetings with political parties will be held. IPL glory NATIONAL BACKDROP, POLITICAL STORM The SIR was first conducted in Bihar ahead of its Assembly elections last year, when the voter list shrank from 7.89 crore in June 2024 to 7.43 crore in September 2024. In Assam, a similar special revision resulted in a net deletion of 2.43 lakh voters. The second phase of the exercise — covering nine states and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, saw a combined voter count fall from 21,45,62,215 to 19,75,33,701, a net deletion of 1,70,28,514 voters, or nearly 8 per cent. Gujarat recorded the steepest drop at 13.40 per cent and Kerala the lowest among states at 3.22 per cent. Among Union Territories, Andaman and Nicobar saw deletions of 16.87 per cent votes. The exercise has triggered a sharp political controversy, with Opposition parties alleging it is being misused to delete the names of genuine voters. Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 31 In a decisive move to strengthen solid waste management and ensure a cleaner urban environment, the Municipal Corporation has made it mandatory for all households and establishments to adopt the four-bin waste segregation system, with strict enforcement and challaning set to begin for violations. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar, which was attended by Special Commissioner Pradeep Kumar, Joint Commissioner Himanshu Gupta and senior officials of departments concerned. As per the new directions, residents are required to segregate waste at source using four bins — green bin for wet waste such as kitchen refuse, blue for dry waste, including paper, plastic and metal; black for domestic hazardous waste and red bin for biomedical and sanitary waste such as used masks, gloves, bandages and expired medicines. The Municipal Corporation will soon launch intensive checking drives across all sectors. Any household, shopkeeper or establishment found mixing waste or not adhering to the prescribed system will face penalties under relevant municipal provisions. The initiative is aimed at streamlining waste collection, enhancing recycling efficiency, reducing the burden on landfills and promoting a healthier and more sustainable city. Emphasising the importance of public participation, the corporation has appealed to all citizens to strictly comply with the guidelines and contribute towards making Chandigarh cleaner, greener and more environmentally responsible. Thunderstorm lashes Tricity; March ends 24% wetter Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 31 The victims of acid attack will now get monthly financial assistance of Rs 10,000 in the city. The Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development has incorporated a provision for the monthly financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to acid attack victims under the Chandigarh Administration Pension to Disabled Persons Rules, 1999, from April 1, 2026, under the Union Territory of Chandigarh Victim Assistance Scheme, 2018. The scheme was introduced to ensure prompt and meaningful assistance to the victims of serious offences. This victim-centric initiative provides comprehensive support to victims and their dependents in cases such as sexual assault, rape, acid attacks and offences under the POCSO Act, mob violence/lynching, grievous injuries, burn injuries, loss of life and other heinous crimes. The scheme also provides for interim relief to meet immediate medical, emergency and rehabilitation needs. Compensation under the Scheme ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending upon the nature and severity of the injury or loss, as specified in the Schedule. Special fasttrack provisions have been made for acid attack victims, including immediate interim relief of Rs1 lakh within 15 days, along with additional compensation up to Rs 10 lakh. The scheme ensures direct disbursement of compensation into bank accounts, with safeguards such as fixed deposits for minors, orphans, and other vulnerable victims to secure their long-term rehabilitation. It also provides the right to appeal in case the victim is dissatisfied with the compensation. As per the scheme, an amount of Rs 5 lakh to Rs10 lakh would be paid for loss of life, rape and unnatural sexual assault; up to Rs 5 lakh for injury cases, Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh in burn injury cases; Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh (with provisions for continued medical and rehabilitation support) in acid attack cases; and up to Rs 10 lakh in cases of rehabilitation for victims of human trafficking. PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.41 PM » WEDNESDAY | 1 APRIL 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Yellow alert for more storms this weekend Nitin Jain FILE Tribune News Service Preity Zinta, co-owner of Punjab Kings, throws a T-shirt towards spectators during a match between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR (PAGE 2) Liquor vends see rush, new policy kicks in today Hardly any discount offered by most contractors in the city Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 31 A day before the new excise policy comes into force, liquor vends at various places witnessed heavy footfall as residents throng shops to buy alcohol at cheap rates. However, unlike previous years, vend allottees did not offer much discounts. A liquor vend allottee stated that many liquor contractors, who retained their outlets, were not offering discounts, but those who have to clear the pending stock were unofficially giving some rebate to buyers. A few vend contractors hired bouncers to manage rush. Under the new excise policy coming into effect from April 1, a total of 94 liquor vends will be operational in the city. At present, three vends remain vacant and are scheduled to be auctioned next week. The administration has already generated a significant revenue, collecting over Rs 500 crore through the auction of liquor vends. Officials said the policy was aimed at streamlining opera- Heavy rush at a liquor shop in Sector 28 on Tuesday. PARDEEP TEWARI tions while enhancing revenue. Among the highlights of the auction, the liquor vend at Palsora village fetched a record bid of Rs 16.71 crore. Its proximity to Mohali is believed to have driven up demand and competition among bidders. The new policy also introduces key changes in serving hours and licensing norms for hotels, bars and restaurants. A-category hotels in Chandigarh will now be permitted to serve alcohol round the clock. Meanwhile, B- and C-category hotels can avail of the 24-hour service provision by paying an annual license fee of Rs 30 lakh. For bars across the city, operational hours have been fixed from 11 am to 1 am, with last orders to be placed before midnight. However, establishments seeking extended service hours can continue operations until 3 am by paying an additional fee of Rs 8 lakh, although final orders in such cases will be restricted until 2 am. In the policy, the quota of country liquor, IMFL and IFL for retail licensing units has been kept unchanged, maintaining a revenue-neutral c m y b position compared to the Excise Policy 2025–26. However, the department has reintroduced L-10B licence, which will allow sale of liquor through organised departmental stores, enhancing consumer convenience, particularly for women, senior citizens and other consumers. Under the new policy, bar licensees will procure liquor from the nearest two retail vends (L-2/L-14A). If both vends belong to the same entity, procurement may be made from the third nearest one. Cow cess will continue at the existing rates — Rs 0.50 per bottle of 750 ml country liquor, Rs 0.50 per bottle of 650 ml beer and Rs 1 per bottle of 750/700 ml whisky. Besides, the police makes GPS tracking system mandatory in all vehicles used for transportation of liquor for import, export or local supply. In the policy, the requirement that customsapproved bonded warehouses must be located within Chandigarh for obtaining L1F and L-1DF licences has been relaxed. Such warehouses may now be located anywhere in India. Chandigarh, March 31 A moderate thunderstorm, accompanied by gusty winds of 40-50 kmph, light rain and lightning, lashed large parts of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula late Tuesday evening, disrupting normal life across the Tricity. The storm, which began around 8 pm and lasted for a couple of hours, led to uprooting of trees and poles, blockage of roads and passages, damage to public property and snapping of power supply in several areas. Power supply snapped in Mohali at 8 pm and was restored at 11 pm. The sudden spell came even as Chandigarh closed March with above-normal rainfall. The city recorded 23 mm rainfall during the month — 24 per cent higher than the long-period average of 18.6 mm —following light showers in the preceding 24 hours. At the Chandigarh meteorological centre, Tuesday’s maximum temperature settled at 31.9°C, almost normal (departure: +0.3°C), while the minimum was recorded at 16.5°C, 1.4°C below normal. Relative humidity ranged between 84 per cent in the morning and 32 per cent during the day. In the region, Mohali recorded a maximum temperature of 32.6°C and a minimum of 19.8°C. Across Punjab, temperatures were above normal, with Patiala logging the state’s highest maximum at 34.8°C, which was 2.4°C above normal. Haryana remained near normal, with Gurugram recording a high of 34.5°C. Weekend stormy The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a mixed weather pattern over the next few days. Light rainfall is likely at isolated places on Wednesday (April 1) without any warning, while Thursday (April 2) is expected to remain dry. Weather activity is set to intensify again on Friday 65.7mm MARCH (+253%) RAINFALL 36.5mm (+96%) 23 mm 7.4mm 0.0mm (+24%) (-60%) (-100%) 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 (SOURCE: IMD) (April 3) and Saturday (April 4), for which a yellow alert has been issued for thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Temperatures are expected to hover between 17°C and 36°C, peaking at 35-36°C midweek before easing to around 33°C over the weekend due to cloud cover and rainfall. The 23 mm rainfall recorded this March marks a sharp recovery from March last year, when the city received just 7.4 mm, 60 per cent below normal. Weather data highlights the variability of March rain- fall in Chandigarh. The city saw no rainfall in 2022, while 2023 recorded a massive surplus of 253 per cent. The wettest March in recent years remains 2015, with 119.9 mm rainfall. This year’s rainfall places Chandigarh within the IMD’s ‘normal’ category despite being above average. The month also witnessed wide temperature variations. The highest maximum temperature reached 35.1°C on March 28, while the lowest minimum dropped to 8.8°C on March 5. The average maximum temperature stood at 29.7°C and the average minimum at 15.4°C.