12082026-CT-01.qxd 8/12/2026 12:25 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MC TO REJUVENATE PONDS AT FIVE UT VILLAGES MAYOR JOSHI TAKES OUT TIRANGA YATRA IN CITY MC Commissioner Amit Kumar, senior MC officers and councillors also take part in 2.5-km yatra. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 29.4°C | MIN 25.1°C DON’T COMPARE, JUST GROW: CELEBRITIES TO YOUTH The project will cover the villages of Dhanas, Kaimbwala, Khuda Ali Sher, Sarangpur and Dadumajra. P3 FORECAST On International Youth Day, celebrities share life lessons and advice for today’s youth. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.07 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.49 AM » WEDNESDAY | 12 AUGUST 2026 | CHANDIGARH /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE 15 checkposts to secure UT as ~5.94-cr project cleared Call of faith All posts along inter-state borders to come up within 12 months after work starts Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Devotees carry beautifully decorated “kanwars” filled with water brought from the Ganga, in Chandigarh. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 45 PANCHKULA 32 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 7 am to 9.30 am: Parts of Vikas Nagar, Mauli Complex, Charan Singh Colony, Modern Housing Complex, Gobindpura, Morigate and Motor Market in Manimajra 9 am to 2 pm: Dhanas village and Rehabilitation Colony 10 am to 1 pm: Sectors 9, 32, 37, 41-A, Badheri and Buterla villages 11 am to 2 pm: Sectors 9 and 24-D Fresh bomb threats received at city schools Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 11 Several local schools received bomb threat emails on Tuesday morning, prompting the police and security agencies to launch search operations amid heightened security ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. No explosive device or suspicious object was found at any of the schools that received the threats. Bomb disposal squads, along with emergency response teams, arrived at the respective schools and searched the premises. Around 10 schools, including Vivek High School, Sector 38; Tribune Model School, Sector 29; Sacred Heart School, Sector 26; St John’s School, Sector 26; and St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, received the threats. continued on page 2 Pak-linked arms smuggling module busted, 4 arrested Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 11 The UT police have busted an inter-state module supplying illegal weapons to a foreign-based gangster network with the arrest of four persons, including a Pakistanlinked arms smuggler. The police foiled what investigators say was a planned extortion attempt in Gurugram. The police said a patrol party, which was deployed as part of Independence Day security arrangements, stopped three youths, Ajay (19), Rohit (18) and Dev (18), all residents of Jind district in Haryana, on suspicion. The police recovered two foreignmade pistols — a Zigana and a China-made PX3 — along with a magazine and 11 cartridges from them. An FIR was registered under Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act at the Sector 31 police station. PAKISTAN LINK Their interrogation led the police to Nishan Singh (32), a dairy farmer from Kakar village in Amritsar district, who allegedly ran a drone drop-off point on his agricultural land. He allegedly had links with a Pakistan-based arms supplier. A PX3 pistol with eight cartridges was recovered from him. GANG TRAIL LEADS ABROAD The investigators said all three Haryana youths were recruited by foreign-based gangster Deepak Nandal, who lured them with the promise of large sums of money. Their contact with Nandal was allegedly facilitated by Arun, a Sonepat resident currently based in the UAE. The police said the accused had already conducted a recce of a target in Gurugram and were preparing to carry out a firing incident as part of an extortion plan. ZERO TOLERANCE, SAYS DGP DGP Dr Sagar Preet Hooda said the Chandigarh Police would continue to pursue a zero-tolerance approach to illegal arms and organised crime. The case is being probed for wider inter-state and cross-border linkages. PU seeks UT nod to hold student council poll in first week of Sept Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 11 Panjab University has written to the UT Administration seeking approval to conduct the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections in the first week of September. The request has been submitted to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and the elections are most likely to be held on September 3, sources said. “A request seeking approval has been submitted to the UT Administration and the Chandigarh Police. The exact date has not been mentioned, but permission has been sought to conduct the PUCSC elections in the first week of September,” said a university official. According to the Panjab University annual holiday calendar, September 4 (Friday) will be observed as a holiday on account of Janmashtami. This leaves September 3 (Thursday) or September 2 (Wednesday) as the likely dates for holding the elections ahead of the long weekend. Last year, the elections were held on September 3 (Wednesday), while the process of filing nominations began on August 27. The university subsequently declared September 4, 2025 (Thursday), a holiday. “As per the past trend, the elections are usually held before the long weekend ❝ REQUEST FORWARDED TO HOME DEPT: DC The request has been received and forwarded to the Home Department. The election date will be finalised by the Home Department, as is done every year. Nishant Yadav, DC, CHANDIGARH holidays, and the university is planning the same this year. The institution is also scheduled to conduct the Panjab University Senate elections on September 20, which is a lengthy process, with the results scheduled later in the month. So, most likely, the elections will be held on the first Wednesday or Thursday of September,” the official added. Every year, Panjab University sends a proposal to the UT Administration containing tentative dates for conducting the PUCSC elections. The final date is decided after representatives of all stakeholders, including senior Chandigarh Police officials, local administration authorities and university officials, meet to chalk out the arrangements. This year’s elections will be the first to be conducted ❞ under the supervision of Panjab University Dean of Instruction Dr Meenakshi Goyal, who is currently discharging the duties of ViceChancellor following the end of Prof Renu Vig’s tenure. Last year, 16,124 students were eligible to vote, of whom 9,535 cast their ballots. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won the president’s post for the first time in the university’s history. Meanwhile, the Punjab AAP announced the appointment of MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand as election in-charges. The PUCSC president released a 200-point annual report for the 2025–26 session, detailing work undertaken in the areas of campus development, education, student welfare, sports, culture and research. c m y b SUKHNA LAKE PUNJAB NAYAGAON KARORAN KANSAL MULLANPUR Chandigarh, August 11 The Chandigarh Administration has cleared a Rs 5.94crore project for the construction of 15 permanent security checkposts at entry points along the city’s borders, amid rising concerns over gangster activity and terror threats in and around the Union Territory. The project was recently recommended by the Appraisal Committee headed by Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad. Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, shares its borders with both states, with several of the proposed posts located along stretches adjoining Punjab’s Nayagaon, Karoran, Kansal and Mullanpur areas, Haryana’s Mansa Devi Complex and Panchkula, and the Manimajra belt along NH-21. According to officials, the project is aimed at strengthening border security and surveillance, improving monitoring of vehicular and pedestrian movement, enhancing the operational efficiency of Chandigarh Police and providing permanent infrastructure HARYANA MANSA DEVI COMPLEX CHANDIGARH PUNJAB for security personnel deployed at entry points. AGEING INFRA According to the project details, the existing naka-posts along the city’s border are temporary structures that no longer align with Chandigarh’s present boundaries and security requirements. They offer inadequate accommodation and basic amenities for round-the- clock deployment of the CRPF and police personnel. These have limited sheltered operational space and inadequate utility and sanitation facilities. The decision to relocate these naka-posts to strategic border locations follows joint inspections and approved planning by the departments concerned, the officials said. Standardised checkposts are needed to strengthen surveil- CHECKPOST LOCATION 1. PANCHKULA 2. MANIMAJRA 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. NH-21 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Nayagaon Jayanti Majri Mullanpur barrier Sarangpur barrier Togan barrier Makhanmajra Raipur Kalan Dhillon barrier Kishangarh Zirakpur barrier Faidan barrier Mohali barrier Badheri barrier Sector 55/56 road Jhampur barrier lance, access control and operational readiness at the border, they added. WHAT EACH POST WILL HAVE Each of the 15 checkposts will be a single-storey RCC-framed structure with a standardised layout comprising office-cumcontrol room (9 ft x 16 ft), rest room (12 ft x 16 ft), courtyard (19 ft x 12 ft), lobby (9 ft x 11 ft), toilet continued on page 2