02122020-CT-01.qxd 12/2/2020 12:34 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY | 2 DECEMBER 2020 | CHANDIGARH PAGE 3 REPAIR WORK ON DAMAGED AIRPORT ROAD BEGINS OVER FORTNIGHT ON, SUSPECT HELD IN HIT-AND-RUN CASE Patchwork in some poorly damaged sections of the road done, dangerous potholes filled to avoid road mishaps. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY P’KULA SAMPLES TESTED 1,44,204 SAMPLES REJECTED 811 POSITIVE 17,537 NEGATIVE 1,25,856 RECOVERED 16,173 REPORTS AWAITED 95 ACTIVE 1,086 DEATHS 278 MAX 25°C | MIN 9°C | YESTERDAY MAX 24.9°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.22 PM 1,15,050 1,36,566 — — 8,786 15,598 — 1,19,896 8,162 13,313 — 1,072 497 2,003 127 282 CHANDIGARH: The city on Tuesday recorded 128 cases of Covid-19, pushing the case tally to 17,537. The city also saw the death of an 89-year-old man from Sector 15, who was also suffering from diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He died at Mayo Hospital, Mohali. As many as 103 more patients recovered on Tuesday, taking the tally of recovered patients to 16,173. —TNS AIR QUALITY INDEX 161 PANCHKULA 239 MOHALI 128 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF SSP (TRAFFIC) TAKES CHARGE Chandigarh: The first woman SSP (Traffic and Security), Manisha Chaudhary, took charge on Tuesday. She is a 2011-batch IPS officer. Manisha’s name was approved by the Centre last month on an inter-cadre deputation from the Haryana cadre to the AGMUT cadre for three years. TNS TWO PASSPORTS: COPS BOOK MAN Chandigarh: A Ludhiana resident has been booked on a complaint of the passport officer after it was found that he got two passports issued in different names. According to the police, complainant Amit Kumar Rawat, area passport officer, RPO, Sector 34, reported that Anil Kumar Bedi, aka Rohit Bal, obtained two passports on two names — Anil Kumar Bedi and Rohit Bal — and different particulars. TNS Vehicles move through smog on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway at Zirakpur on Tuesday. RAVI KUMAR Coldest Nov nights in decade Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 1 Nights in November remained the coldest on an average in over a decade. As per the data available with the Chandigarh Meteorological Department, the average minimum temperature in November was 11.3°C. In November last year, the average minimum temperature was 14.0°C, while in November 2018, it was 12.7°C. The data from 2010 onwards showed that the average minimum temperature in November since 2010 AVERAGE MIN TEMP IN NOV DECEMBER TEMP LIKELY TO BE BELOW NORMAL 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 A Met official said the temperature in December was expected to remain below normal. “It is expected to be .5° to .6° below normal,” said the official. For the next two days, the sky is expected to be clear. 11.3°C 14.0°C 12.7°C 11.8°C 12.6°C 13.0°C 11.4°C 11.5°C 11.6°C 13.2°C 12.9°C can ❝itThere as abe many reasons for such persistent cloudfree sky, which causes the mercury to rise during the day and fall at night. Met expert remained higher than that recorded this year. “There could be several ❞ reasons for it such as a persistent cloud-free sky, which continued on page 2 Panchkula: The district Covid tally reached 8,786 with 89 new cases surfacing during the past 24 hours. There was no fresh death due to the infection. So far, 8,162 patients have been cured of the disease. There are 497 active cases with 127 deaths in the district. TNS COVID KILLS 3 IN MOHALI Mohali: Three more fatalities due to Covid-19 were reported from the district during the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 282. Besides, 129 more persons tested positive for the virus while 192 patients were cured. Among the new cases, 112 were from Mohali (urban), one each from Dera Bassi and Dhakoli, nine from Gharuan and six from Kharar. So far, 15,598 cases have surfaced in the district. TNS SC stays order quashing VAT assessment notices Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 1 The Supreme Court today stayed a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had quashed VAT assessment notices, involving crores of rupees, issued to 47 business establishments in Chandigarh. While staying the operation of the High Court’s February UT can now recover crores from 47 biz establishments 19 order, a three-Judge Bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, also issued notices to the 47 assesses asking them to respond in six weeks to the petition filed by the UT Administration. The order of the top court came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pointed out that the High Court erred in setting aside the assessment notices. The cases relate to assessment years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. The notices for assessment under Section 29(2) of the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005, were This Nov, UT saw 14% less GST collections than previous year Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 1 Despite the festival season, the goods and services tax (GST) collection dipped 14 per cent in the UT in the month of November. According to the Finance Ministry, the tax collection in the UT stood at ~141 crore in November, which was 14 per cent less in comparison to ~165 crore, the revenue received during the corresponding period last year. In October, the UT had collected tax to the tune of ~151.98 crore, which was 3.21 per cent less in comparison to ~157.02 crore, the collections made in the same month last year. In September, the gross GST collection was 10 per cent lower than what was collected during the corresponding period last year. An official said in October, the Excise and Taxation Department had received over ~10 crore more than the previous month. The gross tax collection in September stood at ~141.48 crore, including collection of ~26 crore under the Central GST, ~34 crore under UT GST and ~81 crore under the Integrated GST. Last year, the month had seen GST collections of ~156.51 crore. The UT got nearly eight per cent more revenue in 89 NEW CASES IN P’KULA TAX REVENUE Month April May June July August Sept Oct 2019-20 ~199.96 cr ~146.67 cr ~157.97 cr ~155.96 cr ~160.08 cr ~156.51 cr ~157.02 cr 2020-21 ~40.34 cr ~103.4 cr ~158.69 cr ~137.33 cr ~138.52 cr ~141.48 cr ~151.98 cr %change -79.83 -29.47 0.46 -11.95 -13.47 -9.60 -3.21 the form of gross GST collected in September in comparison to the amount received in August. The gross GST collection in August was ~138.52 crore, which was nearly 13 per cent less than the previous year when ~160.08 crore as tax was collected. The official said the GST collection in July was ~137.33 crore. Due to the imposition of the lockdown, the UT had collected a meagre revenue of ~40.34 crore in April, which increased to ~103.44 crore in May. However, with selective opening of various business establishments in Unlock 1.0, the revenue collection witnessed a sharp increase and the UT recorded a collection of ~158.69 crore in June, the highest in this financial year. c m y b issued and finalised in 2019. On a batch of petitions filed by traders, a Punjab and Haryana High Court Bench of Avneesh Jhingan and Ajay Tewari had set aside the notices mainly on the ground that these were beyond the period of limitation. “As per Rule 40 of the Punjab Value Added Tax Rules, continued on page 2 PAGE 3 A computerised draw will be held for allotment of 416 flats to occupants of pre-fab shelters of Sector 52. SUNRISE THURSDAY 7.03 AM City sees 128 cases, 1 death MOHALI CHANDIGARH CHB TO HOLD DRAW FOR 416 FLATS AT MALOYA-I TODAY A biker had knocked down a 24-yr-old woman at Sector 79-80 intersection in Mohali on November 12. TRICITY COVID REPORT CHD PAGE 3 TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE HC puts brakes on move to privatise Power Dept Chandigarh, December 1 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today applied brakes to the move to privatise the functioning of the electricity wing of the UT Engineering Department. Taking up a petition filed by the UT Powermen Union, a Division Bench stayed the tendering process regarding privatisation of the wing. A copy of the order was not yet available. Appearing before the Bench of Justice Jitendra Chauhan and Justice Vivek Puri, senior advocate Sunil Chadha and Akshay Chadha contended on the petitioner’s behalf that the union was aggrieved by the decision to privatise the electricity wing by selling 100 per cent stake of the government in the absence of any provision under Section 131 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The Bench was also told Workers of the UT Power Department hold a protest on Tuesday. that the process of privatisation of the wing could not be initiated at all, especially when it was running in profits. The sale of 100 per cent stake was unjust and illegal as the wing was revenue surplus for the past three years. It was economically efficient, having transmission and distribution losses less than the target of 15 per cent fixed by the Ministry of Power. continued on page 2 Police nail gangster, aide FIRING OUTSIDE GMCH Chandigarh, December 1 Gangster Baljit Chaudhary and his accomplice Bhavjeet Gill have been arrested by the police in a shooting incident reported from outside the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, in January this year. Both suspects were produced in a court and sent to two-day police remand. The complainant, Jagtar Singh of Ludhiana, had stated that he, along with his friend Samar Bhat, had come to the GMCH to meet a friend, who was admitted in the hospital. Jagtar had complained that he was standing near the Emergency when five persons came there and shouted that they would eliminate Samar before opening fire at him. He saved his life by hiding behind a car. Gurdyal Singh, who was passing by, sustained a bullet injury on his arm. Samar had old enmity with a few persons over the issue of posting videos and comments on the social media. — TNS UT Admn to file review petition Chandigarh, December 1 The UT Administration has decided to file a review petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against its order that stayed the privatisation of the Electricity Department. UT Adviser Manoj Parida said they would continued on page 2 Girl found murdered Mohali, December 1 The body of a girl was found at an open place opposite a private school in Sector 69 here today. According to the police, the victim, who was yet to be identified, was hit on the head with a brick. The body had strangulation marks too. The police have recovered a blood-stained brick from near the spot. DSP (City 2) Deep Kamal said, “The victim seemed to be around 18 years of age. A case of murder has been registered.” —TNS