31052023-CT-01.qxd 5/31/2023 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CIVIC BODY STAFF DONATE CLOTHES, BOOKS AT CENTRE MACT AWARDS ~36.25 LAKH RELIEF TO VICTIM’S FAMILY Insurance company asked to pay ~36,25,308 lakh relief to the kin of a person who died in an accident. P3 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 32°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 32.8°C | MIN 20.2°C DFC DEFEAT AMBERNATH UNITED ATLANTA, LIFT TITLE MC officials and employees donate old clothes and books at the RRR centre on MC office premises . P3 FORECAST In the last league match of the final round, Delhi Football Club defeat Ambernath United Atlanta FC. P3 » » CHANDIGARH PANCHKULA MOHALI 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 59 38 68 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF THEFT REPORTED AT SECTOR 35 HOUSE Chandigarh:A theft was reported at a house in Sector 35. Gursher Singh Grewal reported that an unidentified person stole one laptop, two gold bangles, one silver idol and other valuables from his house between May 26 and 29. The Sector 36 police have registered a case and started investigation. TNS LAWYER BOOKED FOR CHEATING Chandigarh:A lawyer has been booked on the charge of cheating. Dinesh Kumar, a resident of Bhiwani, Haryana, alleged that an advocate, Gopal Soni, cheated him of Rs 22 lakh on the pretext of getting him appointed as a superintendent at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He alleged the suspect issued him a fake appointment letter. The Sector 3 police have registered a case under Section 420, 465, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC. TNS TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD 200 vehicles scrappedin UT Include nearly 50 per cent units of government institutions Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 30 Within two months of implementation of the National Vehicle Scrappage Policy, nearly 200 vehicles have been scrapped at the centre set up in Industrial Area, Phase 1, here. According to the policy, commercial vehicles over 15 years old and passenger vehicles over 20 years old will have to be mandatorily scrapped if these do not pass the fitness and emission tests. Of the 200 vehicles scrapped so far, nearly 50 per cent were government vehicles, said Gopal Krishan, owner of the centre. He said a car could be dismantled in two or three hours while it took nearly two days to dismantle a bus. “Once a vehicle is scrapped, a certificate of deposit (COD) will be issued and the vehicle de-registered,” he said, adding that the COD is valid across the country. Also, the vehicle owner can retain the registration number of the scrapped vehicle after visiting the evaahan portal. The value of the scrap is calculated on the basis of the weight of the vehicle, he said. The owner is paid as per the current rate of the scrap, which is calculated on the basis of the steel recovered from the vehi- Chandigarh, May 30 Crime Branch of the UT police has nabbed a gang of thieves who stole outdoor units of split air-conditioners (ACs) installed in markets. A total of 15 units, including four units stolen the city, have been recovered from them. The city had witnessed a spurt in AC thefts recently. Three cases were registered at the police stations of Sector STOLE 50 ACS FROM TRICITY The police said the main suspect, Chamkaur, is an AC mechanic. He, along with Varinder, a drug addict, used to visit Chandigarh during the night and steal AC units installed outside SCOs and offices. The suspects confessed to have stolen around 50 units from the tricity areas, said the police. 3, 17 and 34. The police said the crime branch staff investigated the theft cases and scanned the continued on page 3 Old vehicles being scrapped at the Industrial Area, Phase 1, in Chandigarh. cle. Of the total weight of the vehicle, nearly 65 per cent is estimated to be steel and after removing 10% as wastage, the amount is paid for the remaining weight, he added. Apart from 15-year-old vehicles, they also get accidental ones. The vehicles can be brought for scrapping from any part of the country. Nearly 100 more government vehicles were expected to arrive for scrapping by mid-June, he said, adding that the number of vehicles to be scrapped is likely to increase in coming months. Following a notification of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, all government vehicles, including buses of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking and vehicles attached with the Municipal Corporation, which have completed 15 years, have to be scrapped, said an official of the Transport Department. To phase out unfit and polluting vehicles, the UT Administration implemented the National Vehicle continued on page 2 WHY SCRAP YOUR VEHICLE ■ Old registration number can be retained ■ Up to 4% discount on buying new vehicles in the pipeline ■ Owners can receive scrap value on the basis of the weight of steel ■ Concession in motor vehicle tax – up to 25% for non-transport vehicles and 15% for transport vehicles WHAT POLICY SAYS Commercial vehicles over 15 years old and passenger vehicles over 20 years old will have to be mandatorily scrapped if these do not pass the fitness and emission tests. Chandigarh, May 30 Education Department is set to enhance the nutritional value of the mid-day meal for children by incorporating milk and fruit (preferably banana), following directions from the Centre. To address the nutritional requirements of the students, the UT Administration plans to introduce milk and millet-based items, utilising its own resources. Additionally, the administration aims at developing “School Nutrition Gardens” in all schools in collaboration with local Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Agriculture Department and the Horticulture Department. Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, Director School Education, said, “Earlier, milk tenders were passed, but it could not be introduced in schools. After the Centre’s directions, the department is planning to provide milk and fruit on alternate days in government schools. The schools will have more millet-based food MORE MILLET-BASED FOOD TO BE ON MENU Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, Director School Education, said, “After the Centre’s directions, the department is planning to provide milk and fruit on alternate days in government schools. The schools will have more millet-based food in the menu as well. Now, all schools will have a nutrition garden as well.” in the menu as well. Now, all schools will have a nutrition garden as well.” Despite the efforts, the coverage of students in both primary and upper primary levels under the scheme remained insufficient, as observed by the Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L). In light of this, the Secretary has suggested that the UT Administration implement special measures to ensure the coverage of all enrolled children in local schools under the scheme. The Secretary has requested an action taken report to be submitted by September 2023. In an attempt to improve the situation, the administration has developed “School Nutrition Gardens” in 85, out of 121 schools, and it plans to develop 27 more such gardens during 2023-24. The Secretary (SE&L) has advised the administration to ensure that the menu is devised in such a manner that a variety of food items may be prepared, increasing the interest of students in the school meals. The Programme Approval Board (PAB) has also highlighted several indicators that require corrective measures to improve the overall performance of the PM Poshan scheme. continued on page 3 ‘The mountains are to explore, not to roam’ throughout the evening. He greeted the ex-PM with a formal handshake and referred to him as 'Rajiv'. The ex-PM preferred to sit besides him instead of sitting across the table," said Harpal. He added, "From his batch mates to youngsters, everyone is reaching out to condole his death. I still remember, he was offered the headship of The Doon School, but he refused saying 'I am a mountain-loving human, cannot restrict myself to administration'." Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 30 Gurdial Singh, who was presented with the Arjuna Award in 1965 for his contributions to Indian mountaineering, today died at the age of 99 at his residence in Sector 8 here. He had been bedridden for the past few years with complications caused by a hip fracture and chikungunya. The mountaineering legend led an expedition to Trisul (7120 m) in 1951, which marked the first success by an Indian team on a major Himalayan peak and is acknowledged as the real beginning of Indian mountaineering. In 1967, he was awarded Padma Shri and in Mountaineering legend Gurdial passes away after prolonged illness MARRIED TO HIMALAYAS “He remained a bachelor. It would not be wrong to say that he had been married to the Himalayas. His long Himalayan journey had been unencumbered by any family commitments and worries and he was free to indulge in his other passions such as reading, classical music, ornithology, gardening and travelling,” said Brig (retd) Darshan Khullar. Gurdial Singh performs headstand on Trisul summit. FILE 2007, Lifetime Achievement Award and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award. Popularly known as "Guru" at The Doon School, he always advised young moun- 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 61.1 mm 48.1 mm 4.0 mm 25.4 mm 20.4 mm 71.0 mm 57.4 mm 6.3 mm 18.0 mm 17.5 mm 58.8 mm 28.4 mm 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 1971 (ALL-TIME HIGH): 130.7 MM Tribune News Service Tribune News Service 4 held for AC thefts, 15 units recovered 106.2 mm TOTAL RAINFALL Sandeep Rana Naina Mishra The suspects in custody of the Chandigarh Police. FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Wettest May in over 12 yrs Mid-day meal to have milk, fruit Tribune News Service SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:22 AM » WEDNESDAY | 31 MAY 2023 | CHANDIGARH AIR QUALITY INDEX SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.19 PM taineers to stick to the ethics and keep exploring mountains. His nephew, Harpal Singh fondly remembers Guru's meeting with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gand- hi. "I don't remember the year...but he (Guru) was coming to New Delhi for buying a new Maruti car. After his meeting with ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi, he was just smiling c m y b 'India won't have another Guru' Brig (retd) Darshan Khullar remembers Guru as not only his mentor but also a man of continued on page 3 Chandigarh, May 30 This May has turned out to be the wettest in more than 12 years. According to the data of the Chandigarh Meteorological Department available from 2011 onwards, May 2023 has seen the highest rainfall. The month has received a total of 106.2 mm rainfall compared to 28.4 mm last year and 58.8 mm in 2021. The department had logged an all-time high of 130.7 mm rainfall in May 1971. However, no data with regard to the second highest rainfall is available. May saw five or six active Western Disturbances causing a good rainfall. The month normally sees one or two such activities. While talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Met Director Manmohan Singh, said, “This time frequency of Western Disturbances was high and those were active too. 24-HOUR HIGHEST MAY RAINFALL IN 9 YEARS The city also recorded 36.3 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, highest in May after 2014 May 23, 2022 11.5 mm May 30, 2021 31.8 mm May 11, 2020 30.7 mm May 24, 2019 May 13, 2018 May 2, 2017 Such trend gets repeated after a few years. There are some waves which cause this cycle after about four or five years causing a good amount of rain. Global warming is another factor that leads to high or low rainfall.” On the impact of excessive rainfall, he said it was good for some crops and would 7.2 mm 7.8 mm 3.6 mm May 29, 2016 24.2 mm May 11, 2015 9 mm May 5, 2014 39 mm adversely affect others. Such rain is beneficial for ground water recharge. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature today dropped to 32.8°C, which is seven degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was 20.2°C, five degrees below normal. Light rain is expected to continue for three more days. Youth awarded 10-year jail for sodomy Chandigarh, May 30 The Special Judge, Fast Track Court, Chandigarh, has sentenced a youth to 10 years in jail for sodomising a minor child and sent him to a correction home. On the complaint of the five-year-old victim’s maternal grandmother, the police registered a case against the youth around four years ago. The complainant alleged that the accused committed misdeed with child. The police registered the case under Section 377 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act against the accused. At the time of the incident, the convict was sixteen and a half years old. Initially, his case was tried in the juvenile court. Later, it was transferred to the Special Fast Track Court. — TNS