11022021-CT-01.qxd 2/11/2021 12:27 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh TRIBUNE THURSDAY | 11 FEBRUARY 2021 | CHANDIGARH NYAY SEVA KENDRA OPENED FOR WOMEN PRISONERS PAGE 2 Justice Jaswant Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court inaugurates the centre at Model Jail, Burail. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY TRICITY COVID REPORT CHD P’KULA MOHALI SAMPLES TESTED 2,28,973 1,69,193 1,91,989 SAMPLES REJECTED 943 — — POSITIVE 21,171 10,628 19,693 NEGATIVE 2,06,859 — 1,72,081 RECOVERED 20,670 10,392 18,924 REPORTS AWAITED 93 — 215 ACTIVE 158 89 395 DEATHS 343 147 374 AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 135 PANCHKULA 88 MOHALI 151 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF ELDERLY WOMAN’S CHAIN SNATCHED Chandigarh: Two motorcycleborne miscreants allegedly snatched a gold chain from a 76-year-old woman, Anju, outside her house in Sector 40 on February 9. The police said the suspect managed to take only half the chain as it broke. TNS TWO HELD FOR SNATCHING Chandigarh: Two youths have been arrested in a snatching case. The complainant, Ashok Kumar (28), who owns a mobile shop in Nayagaon, stated that he was going home on a bicycle around 6 pm on February 9, when three snatchers targeted him on the road between the Khuda Lahora bridge and Dhanas. The police arrested Rohit, alias Pintu (20), and Vikas, alias Kedi (20), both of Khuda Lahora, for the crime and recovered the snatched items. TNS PAGE 2 HEALTH MINISTER RELEASES CONG’S 34-POINT MANIFESTO Sidhu says if voted to power, Cong will implement a policy on need-based changes in residential units at Mohali. MAX 26°C | MIN 10°C | YESTERDAY MAX 24.9°C | MIN 10.2°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6:08 PM Take the jab, Badnore on fight against Covid Tribune News Service ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING Chandigarh, February 10 During a meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, suggestions poured in from members regarding the regularisation of constructions outside Lal Dora, converting plots from leasehold to freehold, reducing the water tariff and setting up a cow commission. ‘WILL HIRE PRIVATE CONSULTANT’ The Administrator informed the Advisory Council members that they would hire a private consultant to study the model of a village in the UT for the regularisation of constructions outside the Lal Dora. A meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council underway in Chandigarh on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Don’t give Power Dept in pvt hands, say two ex-MPs Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service The meeting was held after a gap of 17 months. The members also discussed allowing nursing homes in residential areas and providing the industry with the facility to convert from leasehold to freehold. UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore appealed to the citizens to take advantage of the vaccines being provided free of cost by the Centre. He mentioned how the battle against Covid was fought with coordination among various agencies in the tricity. The Administrator complimented the members of the sub-committees of the council for giving their recommendations. He appealed to the members to give their views on the recommendation in writing to the Administrator. CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, gave a presentation on completed projects such as houses in medical college and restoration of Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 10 The Municipal Corporation will collect door-to-door waste lifting charges of January from Sector 1 to 30 through point of sale (POS) machines this month. The civic body has procured 150 POS machines for the purpose. “For the time being, we will collect the charges through these machines. In the near future, we are planning to charge it through water bills,” said a senior MC official. DOOR-TO-DOOR WASTE COLLECTION OPENING BIDS An official of the Electricity Department said the bids could be opened this month and a meeting would be called with representatives of the bidders before opening the tenders. Chandigarh, February 10 Two former MPs — Harmohan Dhawan and Pawan Kumar Bansal — have opposed the privatisation of the profit-making UT Electricity Department. During a meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council here today, Dhawan said for the past five years, the department had been making profits. He said it earned the record revenue of ~258 crore last year. The Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) had been supplying 3.5 per cent of its power generated to the UT at just 17 paise per unit, he said. After being privatised, the UT was unlikely to get the supply at this rate. He said ~157 crore was deposited as security with the department and the Administration must explain how the amount would be utilised. Before privatisation, the Administration should also take suggestions from 2.47 lakh consumers. Meanwhile, AICC Treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal said there was no need to privatise continued on page 2 Capitol Complex. He also mentioned about several upcoming projects such as a community hall, an international centre, police housing and a multi-level parking at the District Courts Complex. Former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal appreciated the efforts of the Administration in restoring the buildings in the Capitol Complex. continued on page 2 Tribune News Service The civic body had started waste segregation at source and collection through its garage-lifting vehicles in the middle of December in Sector 1-30 under the first phase. It had declared that from January, the civic body would itself collect the charges, which were earlier being received by private waste collectors. The corporation will soon start the second phase of the campaign in other sectors. About 640 waste collectors had earlier registered under the MC to work as collectors or drivers in its vehicles. The civic body has a list of over 1,200 collectors operating in the city. continued on page 2 MOHALI MC POLL the wrong side of law Aman Sood and Ravneet Singh Tribune News Service BJP candidate Munni Devi at the Phase 1 police station in Mohali. ‘WAS BEING PRESSURED TO MAKE ME BACK OUT’ Sources said the BJP candidate from ward number 37, Munni Devi, indicated the role of her house owner and a councillor in putting pressure on her husband to make her withdraw from the fray. The police took the body in their possession and sent it to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital, Phase VI. Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC have been initiated. “We are investigating the matter and necessary action will be taken,” said Shivdeep Singh Brar, SHO, Phase I police station. continued on page 2 Patiala, February 10 Two days after Patiala Mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu was caught driving a two-wheeler without a registration number and without wearing a helmet, the city traffic wing has failed to take action against him. So far, no challan has been issued to the Mayor for violating the traffic rules — riding a two-wheeler without a helmet and a registration number plate. “The police should lead by example. Rules are the same for everyone,” said a resident. In photographs that have gone viral, the Mayor is seen going around the city to oversee development works on February 8. Was seen on 2-wheeler sans number, helmet on Feb 8; no action yet The Mayor visited the Top Khana Gate, Kashmiri Toba, Kachha Patiala and Purana Lal Bagh areas among others. Though he reportedly pulled up the municipal engineering team and questioned lapses continued on page 2 HC warns CHB staff against delay in transferring flats Saurabh Malik MAY CONSIDER ACTION In case this court comes to the conclusion that there has been an inordinate delay on the part of the housing board for no plausible reason, it shall consider initiating action Bench against officials Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 10 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has warned the Chandigarh Housing Board of possible action against it officials in case of inordinate and unjustified delay in transferring of dwelling units despite completion of all requirements. The direction came as the High Court Division Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh also called for the TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Panchkula leads Haryana in citizen feedback component CLEANLINESS RANKINGS Sandeep Rana BJP nominee’s husband ends life Patiala Mayor rides on Mohali, February 10 The husband of a BJP candidate, Munni Devi, who is contesting from ward number 37 of the Municipal Corporation, committed suicide at the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited office in Phase I here today. Som Pal, 42, a Class IV employee, hanged himself to death from a ceiling fan at the office around 8.30 am. No suicide note was found on him, the police said. The deceased, a father of four, belonged to Moradabad in UP and was staying in a rented accommodation at Mataur. In her statement to the police, Munni Devi alleged that a former Mohali councillor recently beat up her husband and was pressuring him to make her withdraw from the poll fray. Astro-turf pitch and a computerised bowling machine inaugurated at Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium in Panchkula. SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:05 AM For now, MC to collect fee through POS machines PAGE 2 CRICKET FACILITIES UPGRADED AT TAU DEVI LAL STADIUM ❝ details of matters pending before the board. The Bench was hearing a ❞ petition filed by Pooja Mehta and another petitioner against the board and another petitioner. Appearing before the Bench through videoconferencing, counsel for the petitioners submitted that they had entered into a lease dated August 20, 2018, regarding a dwelling unit in the category of “economically weaker section” in Sector 63, Chandigarh. Despite the issuance of an NOC and various representations made to the housing board office, the dwelling unit was not transferred in their name. c m y b Their counsel further submitted that hyper-technical objections were being raised by the housing board staff one after the other. Issuing a notice of motion to the respondents, the Bench asked the housing board to apprise the court whether other cases of similar nature were pending before it. In case of pending matters, the board was also asked to furnish the details. The case will now come up for hearing next week. Tribune News Service Panchkula, February 10 The Panchkula Municipal Corporation leads Haryana in terms of the maximum citizen participation in the ongoing Swachh Survekshan-2021. It is one of the key components of the cleanliness rankings for evaluating the performance of a civic body. As many as 2.01 lakh people have submitted their feedback on cleanliness and sanitation in the city so far, according to an official press note. Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said the enthusiasm exhibited by citizens in submitting their inputs for the cleanliness survey would give an edge to the Over 2 lakh inputs submitted against 24K last year; will help city in Swachh Survekshan RANKING OVER THE YRS YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 RANK 211 142 71 56 Panchkula Municipal Corporation over other cities in securing a place among the cleanest cities in 2021. Of the 6,000 marks in the cleanliness rankings, the citizen feedback carries 1,800 marks, which continued on page 2 ~17L jewellery, ~70K stolen from house Maximum temp may increase Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 10 The maximum temperature is expected to increase further in the city. According to the Met Department, the maximum temperature was 24.9°C today. It is likely to rise to 26°C tomorrow and may remain the same for the next two days. The minimum temperature is also expected to rise marginally. It was 10.2°C today and may rise to 11°C by Friday. The weatherman said the sky was likely to be partly cloudy on Thursday. On Friday, it was expected to be generally cloudy. Mohali, February 10 The Balongi police have registered a case of theft against unknown persons for stealing jewellery worth ~17 lakh and ~70,000 cash from a house on the seventh floor in a society near ‘Patiala Ki Rao’ on Monday night. Victim Dr Chandan and his wife claimed that they left the house in the morning and when they returned in the evening, the door of the house was open and an almirah containing jewellery and cash was ransacked and the valuables missing. The police were Family returns home to find the door of the house open, valuables missing checking CCTV footage from the nearby buildings. Balongi police in-charge Sarvjit Singh said the police were investigating the matter. Four held for battery theft In another incident, the police nabbed four suspects involved in the theft of batteries from mobile phone towers in a market in Balongi. The police have recovered four batteries, an auto-rickshaw and a rod from the suspects. Tribune News Service