28052026-CT-01.qxd 5/28/2026 1:04 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CITY ALL SET TO HOST ASIAN RELAY C’SHIP AFTER NEARLY 4 DECADES ADMN TOLD TO CONSIDER CLAIMS OF BURAIL JAIL STAFF OSCAR-WINNING FILMMAKER NOLAN TO BE HONOURED The Asian Athletics Federation has picked the Sector 7 sports complex, Chandigarh, to host the 2027 Asian relays. P3 UT told to consider and decide a claim of warders of Burail jail, Chandigarh, on DA and ration money allowance. P3 The Toronto International Film Fest will screen 12 of Oscar winner Christopher Nolan’s movies to honour him. P4 » » PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 41°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 43.1°C | MIN 22.5°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.17 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.23 AM » THURSDAY | 28 MAY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE NO-CAR DAY CAMPAIGN TO SAVE FUEL CONTINUES Director, School Education, Nitish Singla; Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav; Education, Engineering and Sports Secretary Prerna Puri; Social Welfare Secretary Anuradha S Chagti; Finance Secretary Diprava Lakra; and PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig walk to their offices, while IGP Pushpendra Kumar rides a cycle in Chandigarh on Wednesday. REPORT ON PAGE 3 AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 122 PANCHKULA 142 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Mohali: Sec 88 and Phase 8 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF POWER DEMAND TOUCHES 400 MW Chandigarh: The peak power demand in the city on Wednesday increased to 400 MW. The demand on Tuesday dropped to 386 MW. The peak demand had touched 407 MW on Friday and reached 415 MW on Thursday, the highest recorded so far in May. TNS UT Admn to adopt Punjab Right to Business Act Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 27 Chandigarh has recommended extending Punjab’s Right to Business Act to the Union Territory — a move that will give businesses a statutory guarantee of time-bound approvals and protection from arbitrary inspections — with the recommendation routed through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The recommendation, part of the Centre’s Deregulation Exercise 2.0, was made by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria and sent to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah for formal approval recently. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who also holds charge of Secretary, Industries, said adopting the Act would be a transformative step for the city’s business climate. “The Punjab’s Right to Business Act gives entrepreneurs a legal shield against regulatory harassment and mandates deemed approvals where clearances are not given within the stipulated timelines. Extending it to Chandigarh will put our ease-of-doing-business commitments into law,” he said. In two more imminent measures directly benefiting small businesses, the department has finalised a rental Two new MSME schemes — rental subsidy and interest subvention — to be notified by Admn by May 31 CHANDIGARH’S MSME SNAPSHOT REGISTERED UNITS JOBS 65,164 10,028 4,68,626 30,221 24,951 MANUFACTURING SERVICES subsidy scheme and an interest subvention scheme under the MSME Financing Campaign, both of which are set to be formally notified by May 31. Yadav disclosed that Chandigarh has formally repealed the Punjab State Aid to Industries Act, 1935 — a colonial-era law that had been redundant for four decades — under the TRADING Chandigarh scored 89 per cent in the Centre’s Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2025 Chandigarh Jan Vishwas Act, clearing dead regulatory wood from the books. The proposals come against the backdrop of Chandigarh’s MSME sector growing to 65,164 registered units employing 4,68,626 people, as per the Udyam registration database updated on May 18. Speaking to The Tribune, Kataria said the city must move beyond administrative reform to legislative reform. “Scores and rankings matter, but what businesses need is certainty — certainty that their applications will be cleared on time, they will not be harassed and that help will be available when they need it. Bringing a rights-based law to Chandigarh sends that signal clearly,” he said. Chandigarh scored 89 per cent in the Centre’s Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2025, submitting 100 per cent of the 434 reforms assigned to it — a dramatic climb from 71 per cent in 2022, when the UT was categorised in the “Aspirers” bracket, the lowest rung of the Centre’s Ease of Doing Business rankings. Yadav said the department had also completed a sectorwise mapping of turnaround time for setting up enterprises across IT, health, logistics, hospitality and tourism sectors. “We now know exactly how long every clearance takes in every sector. That data will drive further reduction of red tape,” he said. Chandigarh is also in advanced discussions with RITES Ltd for preparation of a City Logistics Plan, as directed at the 4th Chief Secretaries Conference convened by the Centre. Continued on page 2 Consultant appointed for Zirakpur-Poultry Farm Chowk flyover CBI to take handwriting sample of former officer Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 27 To decongest traffic on one of the busiest roads in the city, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has appointed a consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a flyover from the Poultry Farm Chowk to Zirakpur border. According to officials, the consultant would submit its report within three months. The estimated cost of the 4.5km flyover project is likely to be Rs 300-350 crore. Officials stated that it was not possible to construct a single flyover from the GMCH-32 Chowk to Zirakpur border due to the rail overbridge (ROB) near the Poultry Farm Chowk. As such, it was decided to divide the flyover into two parts. The first flyover is to be constructed at the Tribune Chowk and another will start near the ROB, and go up to the newly constructed flyover on the Zirakpur border, bypassing the Poultry Farm Chowk, Hallo Majra and Old Airport light points. The ministry has proposed a six-lane flyover to make the entire stretch from Zirakpur border to the Tribune Chowk signal free, said the officials. This stretch sees snarl-ups during the Will start near railway overbridge and go up to Zirakpur border morning and evening office hours every day. The consultant will assess the existing alignment, evaluate multiple design alternatives and recommend the most viable solution based on various parameters. The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently stayed the felling of trees for the proposed Tribune Chowk flyover project. The order came on a petition raising objections that the project violated the city’s heritage character and planning framework. Referring to the Master Plan 2031, the petitioner’s counsel had contended that Chandigarh was planned as a pedestrian and cyclefriendly city, and that flyovers affected the landscape and non-motorised transport in the city. The contract for the construction of the Tribune Chowk flyover was recently awarded to city-based Singla Constructions Limited for Rs 147.98 crore, which was 31% below the estimated cost. The 1.6 km project includes a rotary and underpass and is scheduled to commence in May 2026 with a completion timeline of two years. ~116-CR SMART CITY SCAM Chandigarh, May 27 The CBI Court has allowed an application of the CBI for taking specimen signatures and handwriting samples of Nalini Malik, former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Smart City Company Limited (SCCL). She is in the CBI custody for the Rs 116-crore fund scam. The case, which was registered by the economic offences police station, Sector 17, was later handed over to the CBI on the recommendation of UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The CBI said the specimen signatures and handwriting samples of the accused were required for further investigation. After hearing the arguments, the Special Judge, CBI Court, said the accused had no objection to furnishing her specimen signatures and handwriting samples, and her statement in this regard was recorded separately. The specimen signatures are significant in view of the fact that the investigating agency has started matching handwriting of all accused with the original copies of note sheets, files relating to the opening, operation and closure of bank accounts maintained by the CSCL with IDFC First Bank and other banks. Committee challenges order of Rain, hailstorm likely in Tricity region from today allowing vendors in Sec 26 mandi that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions will continue across the region on Thursday as well. Tribune News Service Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 27 The Market Committee has challenged the order of the Grievance Redressal and Disputes Resolution Committee (GRDRC ) allowing 29 vendors to do business in the parking area of sabji mandi, Sector 26. The Market Committee filed an appeal before the appellate authority (Mayor) under The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood And Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. It has stated that the order restraining the committee and the MC authorities from interfering in the vending activities of 29 vendors and further directing the authori- 29 vendors have been allowed to do business in the parking area ties to systematically arrange the vendors in the open area/parking area of the sabji mandi, Sector 26, is illegal and without jurisdiction. It has also stated that the order is contrary to the statutory provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, as well as the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961. The GRDRC has virtually declared and recognised a parking/open public utility area as a vending zone despite having no authority under law to do so, says the committee. It has also prayed for granting interim stay on the order during the pendency of the appeal. The committee claims that the implementation of the order during the pendency of the appeal will cause serious prejudice to the appellate authority and will adversely affect public convenience, traffic movement, sanitation, hygiene and smooth functioning of the wholesale market. It says that the parking area/open space in the mandi is meant for visitors, farmers, traders and emergency movement, and the same cannot legally be used for vending activities. Chandigarh, May 27 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for squall, hailstorm and heavy rain across the Tricity from Thursday through Saturday, even as the heatwave tightened its grip on the region today. Scattered rain, accompanied by squall of 70-80 kmph and hailstorm, is likely at isolated places across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Thursday. An orange alert is already in force, with a simultaneous warning for lingering heatwave at isolated places. Light to moderate rain is expected at few places. Widespread rain is forecast across the region on Friday. District-wise maps released by the IMD show a red alert — c m y b 5-DAY FORECAST FOR TRICITY A man quenches his thirst in the scorching heat in Chandigarh on Wednesday. PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI the most severe warning level — for parts of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar, Nawanshahr, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ambala and Yamunanagar. Saturday will see fairly widespread rain continuing, with thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds of 50- 60 kmph. The alert level will ease to orange. Sunday will bring only isolated showers with no active warning. The IMD confirmed Thursday: partly cloudy sky with thunderstorm and rain, maximum temperature to be 41°C and minimum 23°C. Friday: partly cloudy with thunderstorm and rain, maximum 40°C and minimum 25°C. Saturday: partly cloudy with thunderstorm and rain. Sunday: partly cloudy with maximum 36°C and minimum 20°C. Monday: mainly clear sky, maximum to be 36°C and minimum 23°C. Meanwhile, maximum temperature at the Chandigarh weather observatory was 43.1°C (3°C above normal) and minimum 22.5°C (3.2°C below normal).