24082023-CT-01.qxd 8/24/2023 12:45 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MLA’S AIDES SCUFFLE WITH STUDENTS ON PU CAMPUS CHANDRAYAAN-3’S LANDING LIVESTREAMED AT ICCC ROCK ROVERS CLUB THRASH CHANDIGARH ACADEMY 7-0 Supporters of a Punjab MLA scuffle with students canvassing on campus, triggering a protest by SOI. P3 School kids witness livestreaming of Chandrayaan-3's moon landing on the video wall of ICCC, Sec 17. P3 Rock Rovers Club oust Chandigarh Hockey Academy in the opening match of hockey championship P3 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 52 PANCHKULA 41 MOHALI 56 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD 2 APPREHENDED FOR SNATCHING Chandigarh: Two persons, including a juvenile, have been apprehended by the police in a snatching case. Haripal, a resident of Jagatpura village, Mohali, reported that Dinesh (19) and a juvenile aged 16, snatched his purse and mobile phone near the motor market in Sector 48. A case was registered at the Sector 49 police station. Later, both suspects were apprehended. TNS LAPTOP STOLEN FROM HOSPITAL Mohali: A miscreant stole a bag containing laptop and credit cards from a private hospital in Phase 6. The police said the suspect used a card to withdraw Rs 50,000. Phase 1 SHO Rajneesh Chowdhary said a complaint had been recieved in this regard. They have identified the suspect, who would be arrested soon, he added. TNS MAX 32°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 27.7°C | MIN 24.6°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:55 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Give details of ~1K cr spent on IT Park, Purohit tells CHB Three main carriageways for shorter route to airport Board asked UT to take back land, give ~1K cr compensation Tribune News Service Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service INBRIEF GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET THURSDAY 6:55 PM » THURSDAY | 24 AUGUST 2023 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Chandigarh, August 23 Expressing concern, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit has directed the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) to provide details of the substantial expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore on the IT Park project since 2005. The development came after the then CHB Chief Executive Officer, Yashpal Garg, wrote a letter in April this year, urging the UT Administration to take back the land and reimburse Rs 1,000 crore invested in the project over the past 18 years. With the National Board for Wildlife (NBW) denying approval to two proposed housing projects at the IT Park in October last year, the CHB, in April this year, had offered to return nearly 123 acres to the UT Administration and also sought Rs 1,000 crore in compensation for expenses incurred on the projects. After approval by the UT Administrator in 2017, the CHB had planned to build 728 flats in three categories in seven-storey towers on plot THE PARSVNATH CONTROVERSY ■ 2005: CHB is picked by the UT Administrator as the nodal agency to develop IT Habitat project ■ 2006: UT allots 123.79 acres to CHB; Parsvnath wins bid & pays ~516.53 cr to CHB, gets the possession for development ■ 2008: UT directs CHB to keep bid amount and revenue share received by it in joint account to be utilised for flats and other projects ■ 2015: Parsvnath wins arbitration after IT Habitat project fails to take off; CHB pays ~572 cr, takes back possession of the land EXPENSES INCURRED, AS PER BOARD’S CLAIM ■ ~572 cr arbitration award to Parsvnath ■ ~18.50 cr paid to UT Admn to acquire 123.79 acres ■ ~1.11 cr conveyance deed, stamp duty ■ ~21.69 cr spent on shifting high-tension cables (THE REMAINING AMOUNT SPENT ON DEVELOPMENT, AS CLAIMED BY CHB) projects — General Housing Scheme on plot Nos. 1 and 2 and Government Housing Scheme on plot No. 7 — at the IT Park. Turning down the proposal, the NBW observed the development of high-rise buildings near the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary would lead to disturbance in the migratory paths of the birds. In a letter to the Secretary Estate, UT, the former CEO had stated the chances of getting wildlife clearance are bleak and it was requested the possession of the land may be taken back and the CHB be compensated for the expenses to the tune of nearly Rs 1,000 crore it has invested on the project. The letter further stated the CHB had also taken up development works in the IT Habitat, i.e. construction of roads, underground RCC cable trench (service duct), central green, sewer, storm and waterline, etc. Going back to the allotment of the land, on December 1, 2005, the then UT Administrator designated the CHB as the nodal agency for the development of the IT Habitat project. continued on page 2 Land acquisition for the project to be stepped up Chandigarh, August 23 The UT Administration has recently announced plans for a new and significantly shorter route to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport. The proposed route, which is aimed at drastically reducing travel time to the airport, will have a 60-metre-wide road with three main carriageways, two service lanes and three-metrewide cycle tracks on both sides. The decision was taken during a meeting of officers of the Punjab Government and the UT Administration held here today to speed up work on the shorter route between the International Airport and the city, at the UT Guest House. To expedite the project, a joint meeting has been scheduled for August 26, involving Deputy Commissioners of both Mohali and Chandigarh. The focus of this meeting will be to accelerate the land acquisition process, which is vital for the road construction to proceed. Even the Railways authorities have assured that a railway underbridge (RUB) would be constructed within four months after completion of the land acquisition process. The project is also 3-METRE-WIDE CYCLE TRACKS ON BOTH SIDES The proposed route, which is aimed at drastically reducing travel time to the airport, will have a 60-metre-wide road with three main carriageways, two service lanes and 3-metre-wide cycle tracks on both sides. aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on August 19 directed officers of the Punjab Government and the Chandigarh Administration to hold a joint meeting. Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain presided over the meeting. To expedite the acquisition process, it was suggested that the land should be acquired with the mutual consent of the landholders, said sources. However, it was yet to be decided who would bear the cost, Punjab or Chandigarh, of nearly 1 km stretch, which falls under the Airports Authority of India (AAI), said the sources. The proposed route will commence from the intersection of Vikas Marg (from Sector-43 ISBT) and Purv Marg (from Tribune Chowk) near Sector 48. This new route is anticipated to reduce the travel distance from this point to the airport from 11.5 km to a mere 3.5 km. However, 51 acres of land to be acquired for the project. Out of this, 39 acres are situated in Chandigarh, while the remaining 12 acres are located in Punjab’s Jagatpura and Khandala villages. The allocation of the acquisition cost between Punjab and UT is yet to be decided, especially considering the existing alternative 164-foot-wide route to the airport via Sector 66-A included in the Mohali Master Plan. Admn restricts entry in UT water bodies Chandigarh, August 23 In view of the heavy rainfall, the UT Administration has restricted the entry of human and pet animals/cattle in water bodies for all purposes. According to the order issued by the District Magistrate, due to continuous/regular heavy rainfall, the water bodies and choes are overflowing and entering into these can put their lives in danger. District Magistrate Vinay Pratap Singh ordered as an emergency measure that no person shall himself go or take cattle/pet animals inside the nullahs, choes, rivulets, lakes, ponds and other similar water bodies such as Patiala ki Rao, Sukhna Choe etc in Chandigarh. Any breach of this order would invite action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. The order will not apply to the Disaster Management Team/police or military or paramilitary personnel and other government servants engaged in rescue operations or the activities authorised by the competent authority. This order will be in force from August 23 to October 21. — TNS Haryana on plot No. 7. However, the NBW in October last year rejected the CHB’s proposal to grant approval to its two proposed City records 84mm rainfall in 24 hours Sukhna Lake water being released from one of the floodgates on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO. NITIN MITTAL Nos. 1 and 2, spread over 16.6 acres, at the IT Park for general public. Besides, it was to construct flats for MLAs and officers of Punjab and Five held for duping Sector 38 Rakhi fest: Free travel for resident of ~1.39L over WFH women in CTU buses Chandigarh, August 23 The city has received 84mm rainfall from 8:30 am yesterday to 8:30 am today. It was accompanied by lightning and thunderstorm during the night. Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm today, 19.4mm rainfall was witnessed. As per weather forecast, rain is expected to continue for next few days. So far, 1089.8 mm rainfall has been recorded during the ongoing monsoon season, from June 1 to till today. Today’s rain also brought down day’s temperature to 27.7°C from 31.6°C yesterday, which is 5 degrees below normal. The minimum temp fell to 24.6°C from 28.3°C, one degree below normal. — TNS Tribune News Service Were running fake call centre in Noida Chandigarh, August 23 Five fraudsters, who were running a fake call centre, have been arrested by the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell (CCIC) of the UT police for duping people on the pretext of providing them work from home. Suraj Kumar, a Sector 36 resident, had reported that he had uploaded his CV on a job portal after which he received a call from a placement company that offered him a job in a private bank. The suspects made the victim transfer a total of Rs 1.39 lakh in separate bank accounts on account of various charges. The victim got tricked and transferred the money, only to realise later that he had been duped. The police were informed about the incident, following which a case was registered. Fraudsters in custody of the cybercrime cell of Chandigarh. During investigation, a raid was conducted in Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and the suspects, identified as Vijay Kumar (27), Pawan Kumar (25) and Santosh Kumar (25), who were running a fake call centre, Bluesky Financial Services, were arrested. The police said Vijay revealed the names of two other suspects, Deepak Chandra (28) and Rahul Kumar (32), who were subsequently nabbed. Rahul is the mastermind of the scam, said the police. Deepak was earlier arrested in a cheating case and was granted bail. The police have recovered eight mobile phones, 39 ATM cards, 11 chequebooks, six SIM cards and other devices. Himachal tragedy hits tourist footfall, business in city Sandeep Rana DIP IN NUMBER OF HILL-BOUND TOURISTS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 23 Prevailing weather conditions in Himachal Pradesh has hit tourist footfall as well as business in the city. Traders said HP natives, who used to frequently visit the city for shopping, were not coming these days. Also, tourists, who would make a stopover here during their journey to hiss destinations in Himachal Pradesh, are also missing. Malls and popular markets of Sectors 19, 22, 17 and others places have witnessed a decline in footfall. Praveen Duggal Vishu, president, Shopkeepers Association, Sector 22 (Kiran block), said, “No tourists from ❝No tourists from HP are coming here. We used to have a large number of shoppers from HP. Himachalbound tourists, who would have a stopover in UT, are also missing. So, there is no routine rush in markets this time around. A shopkeeper waits for customers at Shastri Market in Sector 22 on Wednesday. PRADEEP TEWARI Himachal Pradesh are coming here these days. We used to have a large number of shoppers in Chandigarh from HP . Himachal-bound tourists from other states, who would have a stopover in Chandigarh and shop here, are also missing. So, there is no routine rush in markets this time around.” Charanjiv Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said, “Not just from Himachal Pradesh, the number of tourists from Punjab has also dipped due to floods in the state. It has affected our sales.” Baljinder Singh Bittu, a c m y b ❞ — PD Vishu, SHOPKEEPERS ASSOCIATION CHIEF hotelier, said, “When such tragedies happen in other states, these obviously have an effect on business here as well. Naturally, the number of tourists has fallen. Not many tourists from other states are coming here.” Damage caused by landslides in the hill state has also impacted business at the vegetable and grain market in Sector 26. Brij Mohan, president, Sabzi Mandi Arhtiya Association, Sector 26, said, “A lot of people from Himachal Pradesh buy groceries from the Sector 26 market, but the sales have dipped these days. Besides, supply of apples and vegetables is also getting delayed. We hope the situation will start improving from next month.” Heavy rains have caused widespread destruction in the hill state. Seventytwo people said to have been killed in landslides and flash floods. Chandigarh, August 23 The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) has announced free travel for women on Raksha Bandhan, which falls on August 30. The service is applicable on all regular CTU bus routes within the city limits. The free service will be available during the standard operating hours of CTU buses on the aforementioned date. The facility will not be applicable on long-route CTU buses. This initiative is a token of the CTU's appreciation for the integral role women play in society and a gesture of gratitude for the community's continued support, says a press release. — TNS Rights commission takes note of The Tribunereport STRAY CANINE MENACE Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 23 Punjab State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of Chandigarh Tribune’s report on stray dog bite cases. This complaint has been taken up suo moto by the Commission from the newspaper clipping, alleging inter alia Chandigarh city has witnessed a whopping 5,365 dog bite cases last year as data has been released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. One Councillor of MC, namely Harpreet Kaur Babla, has stated that the corporation’s medical officer of health (MOH) is not doing enough to contain the stray dog menace, it added. “On consideration of the allegations mentioned in the complaint, this Commission considers it appropriate to send a copy of this complaint to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, to look into the matter at his end, in accordance with law,” said the commission. The report be sent to this Commission before the next date of hearing so that further action, if required, can be taken, it added. FILE