23082023-CT-01.qxd 8/23/2023 12:31 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MECHANISED SWEEPING IN MANI MAJRA, 13 VILLAGES MAJOR TRAFFIC SNARL-UPS AROUND TRIBUNE CHOWK TOP SEED AVNI LOGS WIN, REACHES QUARTERFINALS Five agencies bid for GIS -based mechanised and manual sweeping in 13 villages and Mani Majra. P3 It took commuters heading for Tribune Chowk 20 to 25 minutes to cover a stretch less than a kilometre. P3 Avni Sahraya moves into girls’ U-16 quarterfinals of Roots AITA CS(7) Nat’l Ranking Championship. P3 » » TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE ~7.25-crore bid for temporary waste plant 108 PANCHKULA 82 MOHALI 76 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 Tribune News Service SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Chandigarh, August 22 The sole firm, Bhullar Constructions, Bathinda, has made a Rs 7.25-crore bid for setting up the temporary composting plant for processing wet waste in Dadu Majra. INBRIEF Decision after due deliberations: MC MAN DUPED OF ~1.58 LAKH Chandigarh: A resident of Sector 28 has been duped of ~1.58 lakh by a fraudster. Ram Sajeevan reported that a person on Facebook asked him to download the “Anydesk” app for booking and delivering a product. The complainant later found that ~1.58 lakh had been siphoned off from his account. A case has been registered at the cybercrime police station and investigation started. TNS HOUSE BURGLED AT SECTOR 35 Chandigarh: Gold jewellery was stolen from a house in Sector 35. The complainant reported that a gold bracelet, chain and a ring kept in an almirah was stolen by an unidentified person who entered the house after breaking the lock on Monday. A case has been registered at the Sector 36 police station. TNS Shopkeeper gets 20-year RI for raping minor Tribune news service Chandigarh, August 22 The rise in the cases of sexual assault on the children of tender age is an attack not only on the physical autonomy and self-respect of the victims but also the future of the nation. Such brutal and lusty acts require to be strongly dealt with. This was observed by Swati Sehgal, Judge, Special FastTrack Court, while sentencing a 53-year-old shopkeeper to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a rape and POCSO case registered against him two years ago. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 60, 000 on the convict, who has three children. The case under Sections 342, 363, 366, 376-AB of the IPC and 6 of the POCSO Act was registered on a complaint filed by the minor girl’s mother in 2021. She told the police continued on page 2 MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 31.6°C | MIN 28.3°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:55 AM AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6:56 PM » WEDNESDAY | 23 AUGUST 2023 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Punjab cops carry out a random check of vehicles entering Chandigarh; and (right) massive traffic chaos on a barricaded road on the Mohali-UT border on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: NITIN MITTAL Farmers’ protest passes off peacefully Heavy police deployment, barricading foil agitators’ attempts to enter UT from Punjab areas Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, August 22 The proposed demonstration in Chandigarh by 16 farm unions, led by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, passed off peacefully due to heavy police deployment and barricading, but motorists had to bear inconvenience due to traffic jams and snarlups in Mohali till late in the afternoon. As many as 70 nakas were put up here. Though heavy barricading foiled the protesters’ plan to enter the city today, it hindered the free movement of vehicles at checkpoints. The police also stopped private COPS LEFT NOTHING TO CHANCE The police stopped private vehicles for a random check. Armoured tractors, buses and tipper trucks were stationed at the checkposts to deal with any untoward situation. Mounted cops were also deployed, taking a cue from the past incidents. vehicles for a random check. Armoured tractors, buses and tipper trucks were stationed at the checkposts to deal with any untoward situation. Mounted cops were also deployed, taking a cue from the past incidents. Several points on the Airport Road, Desu Majra-Verka Chowk stretch in Mohali, and the road close to the Zirakpur flyovers towards the Chandigarh side saw traffic crawling for three hours during the office hours. The border areas of Chandigarh and Mohali were sealed with the deployment of heavy police, rapid actin force and mounted cops. The police had put up barricades since yesterday afternoon to check the entry of protesters in the tricity. The farmer unions had announced a protest in Chandigarh today against the non-payment of compensation to the flood-affected farmers. continued on page 2 Rapid Action Force deployed on the Chandigarh-Ambala border on Tuesday. PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR SNARL-UPS WHAT PROTESTERS PLANNED Several points on the Airport Road, Desu Majra-Verka Chowk stretch in Mohali, and the road close to the Zirakpur flyovers towards the Chandigarh side saw traffic crawling for three hours during the office hours. A section of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee’s protesters were to move from Shambhu barrier to the Amb Sahib gurdwara in Mohali and then to Chandigarh, according to the planned demonstration. The Municipal Corporation (MC) had estimated the cost for the job at Rs 8.69 crore in the tender. The bid is 16.54 per cent less than the estimates. However, the MC has not given its go-ahead to award the work to the company yet. “The financial bid has just been opened. Decision to allot or to not allot the work to the agency will be taken after due deliberation,” said an MC official concerned. The corporation yesterday okayed the only firm for opening the financial bid. There was earlier ambiguity about the fate of this bid since only one bid was received. Generally, when a single bid is received, the tender is refloated for more competition. But, officials said considering the gravity of the garbage processing issue in the city, the firm was cleared in the first round. This plant will operate for two years or till the time the new waste processing plant is set up at the Dadu Majra dumping site. Police take over partial security on campus GMSH-16 advanced paediatrics Various spots have been identified for kipping a vigil on people, and a control room will be set on the campus,” added another PU official. PU POLL Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 22 As Panjab University (PU) gears up for the PU Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections, the police have taken over the partial security of the campus to prevent any untoward incident. Besides regular patrolling on the campus, the Chandigarh Police has deployed personnel at all entry and exit points to keep an eye on visitors. Sources claimed the authorities were planning to conduct the elections in September, tentatively on September 8 or 15. Last year, the PUCSC elections were held in October, after a gap of two years owing to the Covid pandemic. More than 10 political groups actively participated in it. Aayush Khatkar of the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti CYSS announces panel Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos (wearing pink turban), Punjab AAP Youth Wing in-charge, with CYSS workers at Panjab University on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI had won the presidential poll by securing 2,712 votes against his nearest rival Harish Gujjar of the ABVP who , polled 2,052 votes. “The election activity has increased on the campus. Starting next week, the authorities are likely to take more measures to ensure security at the university. Orders regarding banning outsiders’ entry, surprise checks at the hostels and interaction with representatives of the students’ political groups will be held on a regular basis,” said an official. “The police have partially taken over the security, and more deployment will be made in the coming days. The PU unit of the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the student wing of AAP has announced its panel , for the coming students’ council elections. Punjab AAP youth wing in-charge and MLA Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhos and co-in-charge Parminder Goldy have appointed a 14member panel of students, including Alam Dhillon (president), Rajinder Tumb (party president), Balwinder Chechi (chairman), Chirag Duhan (campus president), Mankirat Mann (party in-charge), Deepanshu (vice-president), Jagjeet (vice-chairman), Daksh Kohli (party coordinator), Shivani (party convener), Shreya Gupta (general secretary), continued on page 2 centre to begin ops in September Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 22 The Advanced Paediatrics Centre, conceptualised during the second wave of Covid, is all set to get operational at Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16. After facing delays, the centre is now likely to commence operations next month. In a recent review meeting encompassing pending healthcare projects, the Chief Engineer revealed that the construction of the centre was on track for completion by August 31. With this, plans are afoot to inaugurate the centre in the first or second week of September. The genesis of this project dates back to 2021 when the Chandigarh Health Department proposed the establishment of a dedicated paedi- Hitbydelays,construction nearing completion Beds for the paediatrics centre at the GMSH-16. PRADEEP TEWARI atrics unit comprising 32 beds at the GMSH-16. The motive behind this initiative was to augment preparedness for a possible resurgence of Covid. Among these 32 beds, 12 were earmarked for critical patients needing ventilator support. The total cost of Rs 2.25 crore was sanc- tioned by the Centre. Originally slated for completion by March 2022 under the emergency Covid response and health system preparedness initiative, the project encountered substantial delays. This delay caught the attention of the central authorities, who were concerned about unutilised funds and equipment gathering dust. Presently, the GMSH-16 boasts a 20-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facility catering to the younger population. Of these, eight beds are equipped with ventilators, while the remaining offer oxygen support in the hospital’s surgical ward. As the centre is nearing completion, it is expected to significantly bolster the healthcare infrastructure and readiness in Chandigarh, particularly in the paediatrics section. Public interest will prevail over personal, says High Court Imposes ~1 lakh costs on landowner hindering acquisition of land for flyover project on Ambala-Zirakpur NH Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 22 Making it clear that public interest will prevail over personal, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed Rs 1 lakh costs on a landowner after observing that his focus on individualistic interest was required to be deprecated. He was seeking directions to the Union of India and other authorities concerned against taking possession of his land, even though it had the potential to alleviate the traffic issues on the AmbalaZirakpur section of the national highway. The Bench of Justice Suresh- war Thakur and Justice Kuldeep Tiwari was told that an expert body had identified more than 30 black spots on the Ambala-Zirakpur section. A perusal of the photographs on record made it graphically clear that the process of constructing flyovers was at an advanced stage. Seven out of eight pillars had already been constructed. But there was an impediment to the construction of the remaining pillar owing to the non-execution of service lane work following the non-handing over of the “acquired lands” by the petitioner. “Therefore, the retention of possession by the petitioner of the lawfully acquired lands, rather, is unlawful, WHAT COURT OBSERVED The Bench observed the photographs also made it evident that traffic jams and snarl-ups on the Ambala-Zirakpur section of the national highway was obviously owing to the contentious non-acquired “khasra number” belonging to the petitioner, though its acquisition was essential for de-clogging the congestion. As such, “precedence” was required to be assigned to public interest, than the petitioner’s individual interest. and, therefore the possession is required to be delivered by the petitioner to the respon- dents concerned in terms of the demarcation report…,” the Bench observed. c m y b The Bench also observed the photographs also made it evident that traffic jams and snarl-ups on the relevant section of the national highway was obviously owing to the contentious non-acquired “khasra number” belonging to the petitioner, though its acquisition was essential for de-clogging the congestion. As such, “precedence” was required to be assigned to public interest, than the petitioner’s individual interest. The NHAI was represented by advocates RS Madaan, Mahender Joshi and Nanvi Gupta. The Bench asserted it was essential to highlight the petitioner’s gross apathy and insensitivity to the demands of public interest, necessitating the acquisition of his lands. There was tangible evidence that the relevant sections of the national highway had caused inconvenience to the public due to regular traffic snarl-ups and congestions. Yet the petitioner not only obstructed the handing over of lawfully acquired parcels of land to the respondents concerned but also resisted the acquisition of contentious khasra number, which could potentially alleviate the traffic issues. “The lack of apathy of the petitioner to the larger public interest, rather his focusing on his individualistic interest, is required to be deprecated. continued on page 2 The suspect with bikes recovered by the police. Bike thief lands in police net Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 22 The police have arrested a 19year-old vehicle thief and recovered five motorcycles. A checkpoint was set up at Sector 38 (West). The suspect, identified as Sanjay, a resident of EWS Colony, Dhanas, who was riding a motorcycle without helmet, was signalled to stop. The police said he failed to produce the documents of the bike. During investigation, it was found that the motorcycle was stolen from the area under the Sector 34 police station. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had also stolen two-wheelers from Maloya. On the disclosure made by him, four more twowheelers were recovered by the police.