08112023-CT-01.qxd 11/8/2023 1:00 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune HC: STUDENTS USING UNFAIR MEANS THREAT TO OTHERS BATTERS RIZVI, SIDDIQUI STEER UP TO VICTORY CITY LAD KOCHHAR FINISHES TIED-5TH IN ASIAN TOUR The HC has emphasised potential threat posed by students who use unfair means to gain advantage. P4 UP defeat Andhra Pradesh by 95 runs during the ongoing BCCI U-23 One-Day Tournament. P5 Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar remains best Indian performer at China Open (Asian Tour). P5 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 161 PANCHKULA 110 MOHALI 132 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF TWO ARRESTED, HEROIN SEIZED Chandigarh: The police arrested Rajesh (22) of Mauli Jagran and seized 38.96 gram of heroin from his possession near Baltana road in Raipur Kalan. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at Mauli Jagran police station. The police also arrested Sector 56 resident Kulwinder Singh (46), alias Kinda, and seized 10.96 gram of heroin from his possession. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at Sector 39 police station. TNS CYBER CON CHEATS WOMAN OF ~30L Chandigarh: A city resident reported that an unidentified person cheated her of ~30.94 lakh through KMBL app. A case under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered at Cybercrime police station. TNS INFANT FOUND ABANDONED Chandigarh: Sector 25 resident Gagan (21), a sweeper at the GMSH, Sector 16, reported that an unidentified person abandoned a newborn girl child in the toilet of the hospital. A case under Sections 317 of the IPC & 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act has been registered at Sector 17 police station. TNS 4% hike in DA for govt staff Chandigarh, November 7 The UT Administration has increased dearness allowance (DA) for its and Central Government’s employees by 4 per cent. With this, the DA has now gone up from 42 per cent to 46 per cent. The order by UT Finance Department states the Administrator has implemented the October 20 order of the Union Government to enhance the DA rates with effect from July 1. The UT also approved nonproductive linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) equivalent to 30 days’ emoluments for 2022-23 to eligible employees in Group C and all non-gazetted employees in Group B, not covered by any productivitylinked bonus scheme. — TNS MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 28°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 28.6°C | MIN 12.7°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5.31 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:42 AM » WEDNESDAY | 8 NOVEMBER 2023 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Encounters, gang wars, snatchings, Zirakpur turning into criminals’ den Dealers move HC, challenge EV policy Gaurav Kanthwal Chandigarh, November 7 The Federation of Chandigarh Region Automobile Dealers has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Electric Vehicle Policy of 2022, along with subsequent amendments dated July 7 and October 18, which introduced restrictions on the registration of non-electric vehicles/internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The petitioners’ case is that the EV policy, introduced by the UT Administration in 2022 based on government guidelines, was intended to promote electric vehicles by offering incentives to consumers, including monetary benefits and charging infrastructure. However, the recent amendments to the policy impose caps on the registration of non-electric vehicles, affecting the “fundamental rights” of automobile dealers in the region. DESPITE CLAIMS, NO LET-UP IN CRIME Tribune News Service Zirakpur, November 7 With high-rise buildings providing safe haven to antisocial elements at this strategically located town on the borders of Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, Zirakpur is witnessing a spurt in crime, be it encounters and gang wars or snatchings and thefts. Besides, incidents of road rage, hit-and-run and flesh trade are also common in this satellite town of the UT. Asked about the grim scenario, Zirakpur SHO Simranjit Singh said, “We are actively going after gangsters and suspects in the NDPS cases to maintain law and order. We have increased patrolling in urban areas during the festival season. Late night nakas are being put up to keep a check on anti-social elements.” Sources say unauthorised hotels in Baltana are proving NOVEMBER 6: Manjeet Singh, alias Guri, held after a brief encounter with police on VIP Road. Two pistols and several rounds seized NOVEMBER 1: Three persons, including main shooter in Bathinda eatery owner’s murder case, held after encounter at a Baltana hotel OCTOBER 12: Gangster Gagandeep Singh, alias Rajan, accused in Oct 10 murder of scrap dealer’s employee, held after gunfight in Baltana AUGUST 29: Cops nab a member of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, Anil Bishnoi of Sirsa, after firing near Chhat village on Airport Road FEBRUARY 3: Nine spa owners booked for immoral trafficking and 12 outlets sealed in special police operation KEEPING TABS ON ANTI-SOCIAL ELEMENTS ❝ We are actively going after gangsters and suspects in NDPS cases. Patrolling in urban areas increased during the festival season. Late night nakas are put up to keep tabs on anti-social elements Simranjit Singh, SHO, ZIRAKPUR safe haven for criminals and those involved in flesh trade. Besides, easy availability of accommodation for unverified tenants on the VIP Road is to be blamed for rising incidents of snatchings, thefts etc. The cases of financial and immigration fraud are also ❞ being reported in this fastgrowing business hub. A police official said, “Flesh trade, illegal travel agents, crypto thugs and unscrupulous realtors, all take shelter in the town. The police presence is negligible in this fast continued on page 3 Police officials at an encounter site on the Zirakpur-Panchkula highway in Baltana. FILE Tribune News Service Petition listed for tomorrow ADMN MEET TODAY, MAY REMOVE CURBS The UT Administrator has called a meeting to review the EV policy on Wednesday. Sources said a decision was likely to be taken to remove cap on the registration of nonEV two-wheelers ahead of Dhanteras. The Administration had stopped the registration of such two-wheelers on October 29 on reaching the target of 1,609 vehicles fixed for 202324 in the revised EV policy. The petitioners, through senior counsel Chetan Mittal, claim over 50 per cent of vehicles in Chandigarh come from neighbouring states where no such cap or ban exists. They argue that this policy does not align with the intended goal of promoting electric vehicles. Additionally, the petitioners continued on page 3 Amid ‘opposition’ MP Kher unveils 1st PGIMER tweaks recruitment , rules decentralised waste processing plant Moveaimsfor assistant professors at streamlining hiring, attracting professionals Two Sector 49 residents arrested for ‘bid to create unrest’ at inauguration Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 7 The Municipal Corporation today launched the city’s first decentralised waste processing plant at Sehaj Safai Kendra in Sector 49 here. MP Kirron Kher, who inaugurated the plant in the presence of Mayor Anup Gupta, said mixed or segregated waste would be converted into RDF (refuse derived fuel) pellets with a good calorific value. She said the wet waste generated in the locality would be processed and the MC would save expenditure on transportation and manpower. Prior to the inauguration, two residents, who are among MP Kirron Kher launches city’s first decentralised waste processing plant at Sector 49 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY the strong critics of the plant, were arrested. Ashwani Kumar, vice-president, RWA, Telehose Cooperative Society, and Madan Lal were booked under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPc. The police claimed they had sent messages to area residents to assemble at the spot and were raising slogans to create nuisance. Their counsel claimed that the action was taken under political pressure. Residents apprehend the plant, for which no environment clearance was taken, would emit foul smell. The Mayor, meanwhile, said the machine was installed for Rs 45.64 lakh to decentralise solid waste processing of bulk waste generators of Sector 49 societies. The disposal machine would cater to 1,822 houses of four societies. Councillor Rajinder Sharma said the shed for the machinery was constructed by the MC for Rs 24.56 lakh and the machinery was installed for Rs 21.08 lakh from MPLAD funds. ShopsraidedinSector26, Panchkula club owner 50-kg eatables destroyed held, 6 hookahs seized Chandigarh, November 7 In view of the ongoing festival season, the UT’s Food Safety Department has initiated measures to check the sale of adulterated and substandard sweets and other eatables. In an operation on Tuesday, a team of food safety officers inspected various shops at the Grain Market and Daria village, seizing a total of four samples and issuing five challans. The operation led to the destruction of nearly 50 kg of sweets and snacks. These food items were found exposed to continued on page 4 panchkula, November 7 In the ongoing crackdown against the illegal use of hookahs at clubs and bars, the Panchkula police seized six hookahs and arrested the owner of a club here last night. The suspect has been identified as Sonu, alias Sohan Lal, a resident of Mani Majra. Following a tip-off, a police team raided the club in Sector 9. Officials said the club was found playing loud music. The team carried out a check and seized six hookahs. The police arrested the bar owner and filed an FIR against him under various IPC sections. — TNS 1,597 ticketless travel cases, CTUnets ~3.5L fine Tribune News Service OUT TO CHECK LOSSES Chandigarh, November 7 In a bid to curb revenue loss, the UT Transport Department has intensified its efforts to catch passengers travelling without tickets. Over the past one year from November 2022 to October 2023, the department has imposed a total of Rs 3.56 lakh penalty in 1,597 cases of ticketless travel. Additionally, 13 fraud cases were reported, where passengers paid for tickets, but didn’t get one, resulting in the penalty of Rs 5,483 from 133 10 126 ticketless travel cases a month times ticket cost fine on offenders inspectors on job employees involved. The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) operates over 580 buses from various depots across the city, including 178 from Depot No. 1, 170 from Depot No. 2, 138 from 80 3 8 ~23 for ticketless travelling teams on local routes on long route buses cr spent on GPS in buses Depot No. 3 and around 100 from Depot No. 4. All 80 electric buses from Depot No. 3 are running on local and suburban routes. Similarly, long route buses are running from Depot No. 1. To address the issue of ticketless travel, around 126 inspectors are employed, with 80 officers dedicated for cracking down on violators. Three teams are deployed on local routes and eight on long routes to ensure compliance. On an average, nearly 133 cases of ticketless travel are reported every month, with violators charged 10 times the ticket cost. Conductors are closely monitored by inspectors and central teams oversee the department’s operations for transparency. The UT Transport Department introduced the Intelli- c m y b gent Transport System at a cost of Rs 23 crore, equipping buses with CCTV cameras and GPS systems to track their movements. It also offers passengers features like real-time electronic displays at bus stops, providing information on routes and arrival times. Pradhuman Singh, Director, Transport, emphasised that teams had been diligently deployed to tackle ticketless travel and other violations in CTU buses. The department was closely monitoring all types of violations and taking appropriate actions to address these, he said. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 7 The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has announced the approval and recommendation of modified recruitment rules for the posts of assistant professor in various specialties under the Department of Internal Medicine. The Standing Academic Committee of the institute, in its meeting held on April 3, 2021, discussed and recommended these changes. The governing body of the institute convened a meeting on June 22, 2021, and reviewed the proposed modifications. Finally, the institute body, in its meeting held on Septem- ber 6, 2023, approved the recommended changes. The modifications pertain to the posts of assistant professor in several specialties, including clinical immunology & rheumatology, emergency medicine, clinical infectious diseases, geriatric medicine; haematology, oncology, benign haematology, bone continued on page 4