22022021-CT-01.qxd 2/22/2021 12:33 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh TRIBUNE MONDAY | 22 FEBRUARY 2021 | CHANDIGARH CITY POLICE COVID VACCINE COVERAGE ONLY 8 PER CENT PAGE 3 Covid vaccine hesitancy among frontline workers in the city has been even poorer than healthcare workers. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY TRICITY COVID REPORT CHD P’KULA MOHALI SAMPLES TESTED 2,43,429 1,76,477 1,93,565 POSITIVE 21,425 10,741 19,939 NEGATIVE 2,21,056 — 1,73,531 RECOVERED 20,890 10,482 19,172 ACTIVE 186 111 385 CHANGE 17 — 1 DEATHS 349 148 382 NEW 0 0 0 AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 147 PANCHKULA 196 MOHALI 156 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF 3 MOBILE PHONE SNATCHERS HELD Chandigarh: The police have arrested three members of a gang of mobile phone snatchers and recovered two cell phones, an airgun and a motorcycle used in the crime here on Sunday. The suspects have been identified as Bhagsi village residents Jatin and Sunil Kumar and Bhukhdi resident Akshay Kumar. In his complaint to the police on Saturday, Dera Bassi resident Pal Chand stated that three bikeborne youths attacked and snatched his phone near Grain Market around 9 pm. The police traced the suspects from the tower location of the phone and CCTV footage and nabbed the suspects on Sunday. The suspects were produced in a court, which sent them to threeday police remand. Dera Bassi SHO Satinder Singh said more cases of snatching were likely to be solved during their interrogation. TNS PAGE 3 FARM LAWS: YOUNGSTERS HOLD PROTEST NEAR ELANTE MALL 60 PLAYERS QUALIFY FOR MAIN DRAW OF TABLE TENNIS MEET Young members of the Nojawan Kisan Ekta stage a protest against the farm laws outside the Elante mall. MAX 27°C | MIN 14°C | YESTERDAY MAX 25.8°C | MIN 12.4°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.16 PM Sixty players qualify for main draw after three rounds of stage 1 of national table tennis championship. SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.55 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Race for mayoral posts begins in Mohali Preparations underway for swearing-in of councillors of Municipal Corporation |Notification likely today Sanjay Bumbroo CABINET MINISTER’S BROTHER IN THE RECKONING Tribune News Service Mohali, February 21 With the Congress gaining a three-fourths majority in the Mohali Municipal Corporation elections, the race for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor has started. Preparations have already begun for the swearing-in of councillors. The notification in this regard is expected to be issued by the Local Government Department tomorrow. The process of convening an election meeting is set to begin and is expected to be completed in a week. Even though no senior leader is ready to discuss about it, speculations are rife. Though those who matter in the Congress say that the Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu is likely to play a key role in the selection of councillors for the mayoral posts. FILE Kuljit Singh Bedi Amrik Singh Somal Rajinder Singh Rana Now, city’s heritage furniture to go under hammer Down Under Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 21 In yet another auction of heritage furniture from the city, a cabinet from the High Court has been listed for auction at Chippendale in Australia on March 2. “The cabinet with three doors and two drawers and ‘open shelving to the reverse’, which is likely to fetch nearly ~4.57 lakh to ~6.85 lakh, will be auctioned by Shapiro on March 2,” said Ajay Jagga, member, Heritage Protection Cell, Chandigarh. Similar heritage items from Though those who matter in the Congress say that the candidates for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor are to be decided by the party high command, it is a well-known fact that the final call in this regard will be taken by local MLA and Punjab Cabinet Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and the party high command has to seal the choice. The first name in the race for the post of Mayor is that of Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu, younger brother of Sidhu. IN THE CONTENTION — SPECULATIONS RIFE ABOUT THEM Amarjeet Singh Jeeti A heritage cabinet from Chandigarh listed for auction in Australia. the city will be auctioned in the USA and Paris on February 25 and 27, respectively. An armchair was likely to fetch nearly ~3.63 lakh to ~5.09 lakh in the auction in the USA on February 25 and five heritage items designed by Pierre Jeanneret would be Out of Covid shadow auctioned in Paris on February 27, he said. He said a pair of stools, a pair of chairs, easy chairs, a desk with a rectangular top upholstered in green leather and a dining table were likely to be sold for nearly ~33.87 lakh in the auction in Paris. PAGE 3 Rishav Jain 74-yr-old tailor dies as auto hits scooter Chandigarh, February 21 A 74-year-old Activa rider, a tailor, was killed in a road accident in the city. According to the police, complainant Azmat Ali, a resident of Sector 51, reported that the scooter, being driven by his father Shaukat Ali, was hit by an auto at the Sector 44/45/50/51 light point on February 19. He was injured and rushed to the GMCH-32, where he later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The auto was being driven by Bharat Bhushan, a resident of Kishangarh village. The police have registered a case against the auto driver at the Sector 49 police station. He was arrested and later released on bail. — TNS candidates for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor are to be decided by the party high command, it is a well-known fact that the final call in this regard will be taken by local MLA and Punjab Cabinet Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and the party high command has to seal the choice. The first name in the race for the post of Mayor is that of Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu, younger brother of Balbir Singh Sidhu. His name came up for discussion even before the elections and according to political pundits, Amarjit Singh is likely to be the choice for the post of Mayor. Besides, former Senior Deputy Mayor Rishav Jain, former city council president Rajinder Singh Rana and Amrik Singh Somal, who defeated former Mayor Kulwant Singh to win the election of councillor for a third time, and Kuljit Singh Bedi, who also won the election for a third time, are in the race. The political pundits say if they do not get the seat of Mayor, two of them may be proposed for the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Balbir Singh Sidhu said the Mayor would be chosen by the elected members of the MC and the decision in this regard would be taken after the notification for the swearing-in ceremony of the councillors was issued. Amarjit Singh Jiti Sidhu said he was not in any race and the decision in this Continued on page 2 Covid continues to haunt govt schools Tribune News Service Patiala, February 21 Eight schoolteachers of two government schools tested positive for Covid today. The Health Department has now ordered to shut both schools for the next 48 hours. The Civil Surgeon, Dr Satinder Singh, said four staff members each of Government Senior Secondary School, Bhunerheri, and Government School, Mahinder Ganj in Rajpura, tested positive. Health officials said there was a surge in the number of staff and children coming to schools in February. Positive cases in government schools are increasing day by day. According to the Health Department, 46 staff members and two schoolchildren had fallen prey to the virus in February. Seven staff members of a government school in Sanour block had tested positive last week. Harinder Kaur, District Education Officer (DEO), said they had asked the staff to sanitise the schools immediately. “We have asked the staff of both schools to stop holding examinations physically,” she added. UT sees 28 cases CHANDIGARH: With 28 new Covid cases, the UT tally has reached 21,425. The death toll stands at 349. As many as 20,890 patients have recovered from the virus. There are now 186 active cases.—TNS 13 test positive in Mohali district MOHALI: Thirteen new cases of Covid-19 surfaced during the past 24 hours taking the district tally to 19,939. Meanwhile, 14 patients were cured. No new fatality was reported from the district till Sunday evening. Among the new cases, 10 came from Mohali (urban) while one case came from Kharar and two from Dhakoli. So far, the district has witnessed 19,172 recoveries. There are 385 active cases with 382 deaths in the district. — TNS 9 fresh cases in Panchkula PANCHKULA : The district on Sunday reported nine fresh cases of Covid, taking the overall tally to 10,741. The toll remained 148. While 10,482 patients have recovered from the disease so far, 111 cases are still active. The recovery rate stands at 97.58 per cent. — TNS UT mulls asking MC Congress to field 50% new to review resolution faces, youth in MC elections on water rate revision Subhash Chawla takes over as city party president Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service The langar service at Mata Mansa Devi Temple, which was suspended in March last year due to the Covid-19 outbreak, resumed after a gap of over 11 months on Sunday. PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Massive fire breaks out at Dadu Majra dumping ground Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 21 A massive fire broke out at the dumping ground in Dadu Majra here this afternoon. An official of the Fire Department said they received a call around 3 pm about a fire in the dumping ground and rushed nearly five fire tenders to the spot to douse the flames. He said even a JCB machine was pressed into service. The official said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. The official said they were trying to control the fire and it would require a nightlong operation to bring the situa- The blaze at the dumping ground in Dadu Majra. PRADEEP TEWARI tion under control. Due to the burning of the waste material, residents of the area faced breathing issues and also complained of foul smell. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 21 The wait to get relief from the recently hiked water tariff is likely to get longer in the city, with the UT Administration mulling over sending back a resolution passed by the Municipal Corporation (MC) over revision of rates to the civic body for reconsideration. Facing criticism from residents over three-fold increase in the water tariff after the UT Administration issued a notification in this regard on September 11 last year, the BJP-ruled MC had brought an agenda in the House to slash the rates as the civic body elections are slated to be held in November-December this year. The agenda was approved by the House on October 29. It was then sent to the Administration for the final approval. The resolution passed in the House asked for continuation of the rates effective before the new rates were notified by the Administration on September 11. However, till a new notification is issued by the UT Administration to this effect, the rates increased in September would remain in force. A senior official of the UT Administration said the rates were last revised in 2011 and they were going to send the Chandigarh, February 21 After a thumping victory in Mohali, the Congress is now focusing on the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections in Chandigarh. The party has decided to field new faces, especially youth, in the elections, slated to be held later this year, to take on the ruling BJP . After formally taking over as the president of the Chandigarh Congress, Subhash Chawla said they all would have to work hard to win all 35 seats in the MC elections. Hardworking workers would be rewarded accordingly, he said. Senior members would have their own place in the party, but nearly 50 per cent of the party ticket would be given to the youth and new faces in the MC elections, he said. On February 9, the Congress had appointed Subhash Chawla, a former Mayor of Chandigarh, as the new president of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, replacing Pradeep Chhabra. During the induction ceremony, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and incharge, Punjab and Chandigarh Congress, Harish Rawat and AICC treasurer Pawan Bansal and Punjab Cabinet Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu were present. c m y b DOMESTIC WATER RATES SLAB 0-15kl 16-30kl 31-60kl Above 60kl Commercial Industrial Institutional NEW OLD ~3/kl ~2/kl ~6/kl ~4/kl ~12/kl ~6/kl ~24/kl ~8/kl ~25/kl ~15/kl ~30/kl ~15/kl ~25/kl ~12/kl resolution back to the civic body for reconsideration. According to the notification issued by the Administration, the increase in water rates is between 50 per cent and 200 per cent depending upon the category of user and the consumption level. In addition to the tariff, water cess of ~20 per month per connection is charged for maintenance of parks and green belts. The rates were last revised in 2011. The proposal for further hike was first mooted in 2014. Another attempt was made in 2018, but the MC House had rejected it. Hitesh Puri of the Chandigarh Residents’ Association Welfare Federation said there was a huge resentment among residents over the increase in the water rates. Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat at the induction ceremony of Subhash Chawla as the city Congress chief. PRADEEP TEWARI WHAT RAWAT SAID Now, people have the opportunity to avenge the wrong done by the BJP in the forthcoming MC elections. Harish Rawat, ❝ ❞ IN-CHARGE, PUNJAB AND CHANDIGARH CONG Presiding over the function, Rawat said he was confident that the new city president of the party would take everyone along. Congratulating Chandigarh Congress workers for the victory in the civic elections in Punjab, Rawat called upon the Chandigarh Congress that such a performance should be repeated in the MC elections in Chandigarh. “The Modi government is indulging in cruelty to farm- ers, due to which over 300 farmers have died,” he said. He asked Chawla to appoint office-bearers of the local body in the next 15 days and those of the district and block level within 25 days and strengthen the party at the booth level in the next two months. He said the BJP was trying to destroy the “remarkable work done by the Congress” in the field of agriculture and other sectors. “Now, people have the opportunity to avenge the wrong done by the BJP in the forthcoming MC elections,” he said. Rawat said he presented a bouquet of roses with thorns to the newly appointed president so that he could take out the thorns from the lives of the party workers and showered them with flowers. continued on page 3