07022023-CT-01.qxd 07-02-2023 01:05 Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune POLICE RAID 9 HOTELS IN Z’PUR, REGISTER 3 CASES REMOVAL OF INTACT PAVERS AT PARK IRKS RESIDENTS Eyebrows raised over replacement of paver blocks in good shape with new ones at a park in Sector 30. P2 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 24°C | MIN 11°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.4°C | MIN 11.1°C MAULI RESIDENT AMONG 2 HELD WITH POPPY HUSK Police raid nine hotels and register three FIRs against owners under the Immoral Trafficking Act. P2 FORECAST The Crime Branch of the UT police arrests two drug peddlers, recover 110 kg poppy husk from them. P2 » » CHANDIGARH 160 PANCHKULA 108 MOHALI 129 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF MAN HELD WITH 166-GM HEROIN Chandigarh: A drug peddler has been arrested by the Operations Cell of the UT police with 166-gm heroin. Suspect Joy, alias Rishu, a resident of Ferozepur, was nabbed near the Sector 39 waterworks. The police said heroin was recovered from his scooter. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at the Maloya police station. TNS COP NABS TWO ‘SNATCHERS’ Chandigarh: A constable has nabbed two suspects fleeing after snatching a mobile. Sector 49 resident Aakash Yadav, who works at the Sector 28 market, claimed he had stopped at the road separating Sector 27/28 road for nature’s call while returning home on a bicycle when two bike-borne suspects snatched his phone. He raised the alarm, following which Constable Sandeep, who was passing by, chased and nabbed suspects Balbir Singh, alias Gulla (22), a resident of Sector 45, and Mahinder (19), a resident of Jagatpur, Mohali. The two were arrested and a case registered at the Sector 26 police station. TNS 20-YR-OLD HELD FOR SNATCHING Chandigarh: A 20-year-old youth has been arrested for snatching a mobile phone from a woman. The complainant, a resident of NIC Mani Majra, alleged suspect Hardeep, a resident of Sector 21, Panchkula, snatched her phone in the parking of Shivalik garden, Mani Majra. The suspect was arrested and a case registered. TNS MAN HELD FOR STEALING LAPTOP Chandigarh: The UT police have arrested a Sector 9 resident for allegedly stealing a laptop. Complainant Harjit Singh claimed he had parked his car near the dispensary in Sector 8 when someone broke the windowpane and stole a laptop. A case was registered at the Sector 3 police station and the suspect, Rohit Gupta, later arrested. TNS TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD Tribune News Service Mohali, February 6 In the ongoing re-verification of smart ration cards in Mohali district, the administration has found 12,741 beneficiaries ineligible, around 11.29% of the total 1,12,902 cards checked. As many as 1,00,161 cards (88.71%) have been found in order so far. There are a total of 1,21,912 cardholders in the district. In Mohali subdivision, 4,748 cardholders have been found ineligible of the 29,194 (83.99 percent) verified. Similarly, 2,252 cards have been found FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Panel’s clean chit to Carmel Food in CITCO’s banquet TREE TRAGEDY Says Engg Dept to blame, officials failed to visit spot Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 6 Nearly seven months after a 16-year-old girl student lost her life and 19 others got injured as a heritage peepal tree fell on a group of students on the premises of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, the one-member inquiry committee has given a clean chit to the school. The UT Administration had constituted the inquiry committee headed by Justice Jitendra Chauhan (retd) on July 13 to ascertain the facts of the case and fix responsibility, including remedial actions to be taken. In the report, the committee has shed light on various aspects of the incident, including excerpts of statements during interaction with various students, teachers and officers of the administration. The committee has mentioned the UT order dated December 21, 2017, holding the department/institution on whose premises heritage trees stand responsible for protection, preservation and conservation in coordination with the Forests and Wildlife Department, UT. The report states: “The peepal tree that fell on July 8 was not in its ripe age, that being so, it emerges despite FUNGAL ATTACK MAIN CAUSE ■ The peepal tree on Carmel premises was not in ripe age, but being diseased it couldn’t sustain weight and fell ■ A fungal attack on main trunk affected heartwood of tree that provides mechanical strength, says one-member panel report ■ Since sapwood of trunk is unaffected, canopy stays green and from appearance its hard to assess tree’s health, it says SCHOOL NOT TO BLAME Custodian (school), being layman and not an expert, couldn’t fathom consequences of having a tree on premises. Thus, school authorities can’t be held guilty of negligence or termed as facilitator of occurrence, says the report. LAPSES BY UT DEPT Tragedy occurred due to lapses on part of Engineering Dept as officials failed to visit spot, devise a protocol to keep such trees in good health & give specialised treatment available to strengthen these. REMEDIAL MEASURES SUGGESTED ■ Create ‘Green Brigade’, involve residents’ welfare society members ■ Conduct ultrasonic evaluation of very mature trees ■ Hold extensive survey of dead and dried up trees ■ Create single window for prompt processing of felling applications ■ Hold regular inspection of heritage trees; phase out eucalyptus trees, etc. being in its youth, being diseased the tree collapsed, as it could not sustain its weight and fell. The custodian of the tree (school authorities) being layman and not an expert, it is not expected from the school that it could fathom the con- Agenda copies not given prior to key meets, councillors cry foul BUDGET ESTIMATES Say little time to discuss, suggest changes Sandeep Rana DEPARTURE FROM NORM Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 6 In a new practice that has not gone down well with most councillors, the Municipal Corporation has neither given the 2023-24 budget estimates agenda to Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) members nor the House members (councillors) ahead of Tuesday’s meetings. As per the existing practice, the budget estimate agenda is provided to F&CC members days before being tabled in the panel meeting. After required changes suggested by the members, the estimates are revised. Its updated copy is then sent to all councillors ahead of the House meeting, usually held a few days after the F&CC meeting, for discussion and final approval. However for the first time, the corporation has preferred to the keep the budget esti- ■ As per practice, budget estimates agenda is given to Finance and Contracts Committee members days before it is tabled at panel meet ■ After changes, estimates are revised and updated copy is given to councillors ahead of House meet for discussion and final approval ■ But for first time, MC has kept budget estimates a ‘secret’; copies will be given at F&CC meet and later at House meet on Tuesday F&CC, HOUSE MEETINGS CONVENED SAME DAY Both F&CC and House meetings will be held on Tuesday, giving little time for F&CC members to suggest changes. The F&CC meeting is scheduled for 10.30 am, while House meet will be held at 2.30 pm. Earlier, there was a gap of a few days between meetings. mates a “secret”. And, the agenda copies will be given on the spot at the F&CC meeting and then at the 11.29% holders of smart ration cards ineligible in Mohali dist Gaurav Kanthwal SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7.09 AM » TUESDAY | 7 FEBRUARY 2023 | CHANDIGARH AIR QUALITY INDEX SUNSET TUESDAY 6:04 PM BENEFICIARIES IN DISTRICT Subdivision Mohali Kharar Dera Bassi Dist total Ineligible 4,748 2,252 5,741 12,741 Verified 29,194 37,623 46,085 1,12,902 invalid out of 37,623 verified in Kharar and 5,741 invalid out of 46,085 verified in Dera Bassi subdivisions. Mohali Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said: “There are many criteria to be fulfilled after which a beneficiary is added to the scheme. It remains to be seen what shortcomings remain in each case. Total 34,760 40,013 47,139 1,21,912 Once the re-verification is complete, appropriate action will be taken against the ineligible cardholders.” Officials said 92.61% of the re-verification had been completed, with Mohali (83.99%), Kharar (94.03%) and Dera Bassi (97.76%) finishing the statewide exercise shortly. Continued on page 2 House meeting on Tuesday. Another change is that both meetings will be held the same day, indicating there will be little time for the F&CC members to deliberate and suggest changes. The F&CC meeting is scheduled for 10.30 am, while the House meeting will be held at 2.30 pm. Interestingly, in a departure from the norm, the civic body had earlier scheduled the House meeting at 10.30 am, prior to the finance panel, say sources. However, following objections from councillors, the MC decided to call the finance panel meeting first, followed by a house meeting at 2.30 pm. “It is dictatorial attitude of the BJP-ruled MC. Bureaucracy is having a free run. Officers are going as per the will of the BJP What is there to hide? . Why do they want to run away from transparency?” said councillor Damanpreet Continued on page 2 Car RC cancelled over misuse of Aadhaar card Chandigarh, February 6 Acting tough on a complaint regarding misuse of Aadhaar card with fraudulent address in connivance with a car agency for registration of vehicles in Chandigarh, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh has directed cancellation of the car registration certificate and lodging of an FIR against the culprits involved in the case, including the dealership. The directions were issued during a review of working of Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA) office, which offers various services. — TNS c m y b sequences of retaining such mature tree on the premises. So, it is for the department to educate and guide such custodian as to how the whole process of conservation is to be carried out and thus there should have been clear guidelines in this regard.” The report, prepared by the team of experts of the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, mentions a fungal attack on the main trunk affected the heartwood of the tree that provides mechanical strength to the tree. As a result, such trees fall due to any storm, heavy wind or by the self-weight of the canopy. Since the sapwood of the tree trunk remains unaffected, its canopy remains green and from outer appearance it is difficult to assess the health of the tree. Thus, the school authorities cannot be held guilty of negligence or cannot be termed as facilitator of the occurrence, states the report. The report further says the tragedy happened due to lapses by the Engineering Department, as officials failed to visit the spot, devise a specific protocol to keep such trees in good health and accord specialised treatment, if any, available to strengthen the tree. However, the administration is of the opinion in the Continued on page 2 halls, restaurants gets dearer 10% to 20% hike in rates |Parkview room tariff up 20% Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 6 Hosting events such as marriage and private parties at Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO)run hotels will be a costly affair now as the corporation has hiked the prices of food served in banquet halls by 10% to 20%. In case of restaurants, cost has gone up by 10% to 15%. Further, the room tariff at Hotel Parkview has been increased by nearly 20 per cent. It will also run its ‘Chef Lakeview’ restaurant at Sukhna Lake on a revenue-sharing basis with a private firm. The increase in tariffs will help the corporation tide over inflationary costs and also increase its bottom line (profits). The state-run corporation has increased the prices at banquet halls in all three properties — Hotel Mountview, Sector 10; Hotel Shivalikview, Sector 17; and Hotel Parkview, Sector 24 — after nearly four years. The corporation has also hiked the rates of food served in restaurants at the three hotels by 10% to 15%. An official said the rates RESTAURANT FOOD HIKE Mountview Shivalikview Parkview 10% 15% 15% BANQUET HALL RATES/PER PLATE HOTEL Mountview Shivalikview Parkview VEGETARIAN Old New ~1,750 ~2,100 ~1,300 ~1,560 ~800 ~960 PARKVIEW ROOM TARIFF OLD ~2,690/NIGHT REVISED ~3,000/NIGHT had been increased to bring them at par with private hotels and also, the inflation had gone very high. Meanwhile, CITCO has placed services of two officials under suspension for their alleged involvement in illegally withdrawing Rs 35 lakh in bank guarantee. NON-VEGETARIAN Old New ~2,000 ~2,450 ~1,500 ~1,830 ~850 ~1,020 2 OFFICIALS SUSPENDED CITCO has placed services of two officials under suspension for alleged involvement in illegal withdrawal of ~35L in bank guarantee by pvt agency official. It has recommended the police to register an FIR in the matter for detailed investigation. The suspended officials are Anil Sharma, senior assistant, and Rikhi Ram, a clerk. An official said a private security agency allegedly withdrew Rs 35 lakh in bank guarantee in connivance with the employees.