17072024-CT-01.qxd 7/16/2024 11:51 PM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune DOWNPOUR LEAVES MOHALI ROADS WATERLOGGED 10-YEAR-OLD DROWNS IN NULLAH NEAR RAJIV COLONY IN CONVERSATION WITH A CINEMATOGRAPHER An hour of downpour left Mohali streets and roads waterlogged. Commuters had a tough time. P2 A 10-year-old boy from Rajiv Colony was washed away in a nullah in Panchkula. P2 Anay Goswamy says after Mr and Mrs Mahi, he is ready to sign on the dotted line for yet another love story. P4 » » CHANDIGARH 78 PANCHKULA 73 MOHALI 82 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF RESIDENT DUPED OF ~3.20 LAKH Chandigarh: A Sector 28 resident has been duped by a fraudster posing as his cousin living abroad. Narinder reported that he got a call from a person posing as his cousin residing in New Zealand. The caller said he needed ~4 lakh to get his passport renewed. He transferred ~3.20 lakh through UPI on the number given by the caller. The police have registered a case and started investigation. TNS FOETUS FOUND IN HOSPITAL TOILET Chandigarh: A foetus was found in a toilet of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. The police said it was abandoned near Emergency Ward No. 21. A case has been registered at the Sector 34 police station and investigation started. TNS WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH International Mail Art Printmaking Exhibition: Open Hand Art Studios, Le Corbusier Centre, Sector 19 Exhibition on Sports and Sciences: Alliance Francaise, Sector 36 Punjabi play ‘Bulle Shah’: Tagore Theatre, 6.30 pm Rejection of freehold proposal blow to MC Properties worth crores are lying vacant for over a decade Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 16 Rejection of conversion of commercial and industrial properties from leasehold to freehold has come as a big blow to the city Municipal Corporation (MC). Properties worth crores under the MC have been lying vacant for over a decade. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has turned down the UT Administration’s proposal for conversion of industrial/commercial plots from leasehold to freehold. Following a resolution passed by the MC House, the corporation had previously sought the UT Administration’s nod to allow it to auction its booths on a freehold basis to tide over the financial crunch. The Administration had further sent the proposal. The ministry’s recent submission in the Supreme Court that it was against the proposal has dashed the hopes of the MC. After its repeated failure to dispose of its booths and other properties on a leasehold basis, the MC had got the feedback that these would Vendors outside the closed shops at the Sector 17 subway in Chandigarh. PRADEEP TEWARI CIVIC BODY MULLING PUBLIC- PVT PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS The corporation is planning to introduce public-private partnership (PPP) projects for these properties, for which a transaction adviser would be appointed. After a survey of each property, the transaction adviser will suggest to the MC what projects can be implemented for properties under the PPP mode. attract buyers if offered on a freehold basis. Now, the corporation is planning to introduce public-private partnership (PPP) projects for these properties, for which a transaction adviser would be appointed. Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “We will put up the booths at the new overbridge in Sector 17, booths at Sector 39-D and Sector 41 AC Fish and Meat Market, and a hospital site along with 20 SCF plots in Mani Majra. Most properties have not been disposed of since these were constructed. These could not be auctioned despite repeated tenders. Chandigarh, July 16 The UT Administration has allowed installation of advertisement boards on upper floors and corridors of shops across the city. The Urban Planning Department has issued drawings in this regard so that businessmen will be able to install their advertising boards or hoardings in the upper floors and corridors according to the size and space fixed by the UT. So far, such permission was granted only for Sector 22, 17 and 35. Now, the Urban Planning Department has approved the installation of these advertising boards or hoardings under architectural control for all markets across the city. According to officials, approval for all markets has been given by the Urban Planning Department, but the Municipal Corporation will decide the charges for installation of the boards. Traders have welcomed the decision. Chandigarh Vyapar Mandal president Charanjiv Singh said commercial activity had gradually increased in the upper floors, so it was necessary to permit such boards. Vinod Joshi, an architect, said drawings had been released, which would held the traders. Although traders carrying out commercial activities in the upper floors in most markets have already put up advertisements in most places, they always feared of action by the MC. —TNS CHANDIGARH APNI MANDI: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 MOHALI APNI MANDI: Phase 11 PANCHKULA APNI MANDI: Sector 25 Boards put up on upper floors of shops in Sector 24. 3 held for duping woman police official, informed her that a mobile SIM issued on her name was being used by Naresh Goyal for money-laundering activities. The suspect asked her to transfer Rs 80 lakh in a secret surveillance account, which would be returned if she was found innocent. He told the victim that this was a secret investigation. The woman got tricked and deposited Rs 80.31 lakh in the account. —TNS FILE PHOTO FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Violations in Purab project, GMADAtoldtopay~1.02cr Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, July 16 The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 1.02 crore on the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for violations under Sections 33-A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 at Purab Premium Apartments in Sector 88. It has also written to the revenue officials concerned not to register sale deeds related to plots, flats, houses or shops in the housing project. The board has asked GMADA, the biggest development authority of Punjab, to stop all types of constructions in the housing project with immediate effect and plug discharge of waste water and effluents into sewers and on to land. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been directed not to release any electricity connection for this project or any of its components. “GMADA shall not allow any new occupancy or possession on the premises with immediate effect,” reads the notification. The orders, dated July 8, direct the development authority to deposit Rs 1.02 crore with the Office of Environmental Engineer, PPCB, TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR UT allows boards on upper floors of shops Art exhibition ‘The Sikh Empire’: Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sec 26 Chandigarh, July 16 Three fraudsters have been arrested by the Cybercrime Cell of the UT police for duping a woman of Rs 80 lakh in a fake digital arrest case. The accused have been identified as Mahendra Nai (27), Poonam Chand (25) and Sandeep Kumar (27), all residents of Sikar in Rajasthan. Pratipal Kaur of Sector 11 had reported that one of the accused, posing as Mumbai decision in the MC House.” Sources said the authorities would analyse legality involving each category of property. The vacant properties of the MC include 105 booths in Vikas Nagar (Mauli Jagran), shops at the Sector 17/22 subway, 18 booths in the Shopping Complex, Mauli Jagran; 40 Sale deed registrations, power connections put on hold at apartments Purab Premium Apartments in Sector 88, Mohali. PHOTO: VICKY VIOLATIONS GALORE ■ Environmental clearance ■ Untreated domestic sewage expired in 2020 ■ One borewell in use, but no record of daily consumption of freshwater ■ No captive sewage treatment plant discharged into sewers linked to Mohali treatment plant ■ Four rainwater harvesting pits, but no record of maintenance ■ Solar energy not being used within 15 days. Officials of GMADA said they would file an appeal against the order. Ambedkar Institute of Medical Education, Mohali, is in talks with the authority to take a few flats on lease for its medical students in the housing project, which has 1,620 flats built on 37.5 acres. Now, the existing flat holders will not be able to register the sale deeds till the shortcomings mentioned by the PPCB are removed by the Commuters negotiate a waterlogged road in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. More rain likely over next 5 days development authority. A separate notice is being issued to the authority under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 for violations of provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, along with an opportunity for a personal hearing before the Chairman, PPCB. On April 1, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on the authority for causing damage to the environment in this project. Three-year bar for retaining old Nos. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 16 The city today witnessed 41mm rainfall. Rain is expected to continue over the next five days. The city has recorded 179.7 mm rainfall this season so far, which is 50 per cent less than normal. Waterlogging led to traffic jams at roundabouts in the city. The traffic police had to issue alerts for road users on its social media platform. Waterlogging was witnessed at the Sector 27/28 and 36/37 light points, 42/43 road leading to Sector 43 Judicial Academy and the Sector 19/27 road. Commuters had a tough time negotiating waterlogged roads at Sector 20/21 Labour Chowk, Kisan Bhawan Chowk, Sec- MAX 35°C | MIN 30°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 30.6°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:33 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD PRADEEP TEWARI AIR QUALITY INDEX PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.26 PM » WEDNESDAY | 17 JULY 2024 FORECAST Chandigarh, July 16 In order to stop misuse of retention of choice/fancy registration numbers, the UT Administration has decided that it will be allowed only if the number has remained registered in the name of the applicant for a minimum period of three years, as on the date of application. Any person holding any choice/fancy vehicle registration number can retain the registration number on his or her new or other vehicle. It was observed that the applicants were purchasing old vehicles with fancy registration numbers only to retain that number on their new vehicles or old vehicles purchased from other states. RLA move aimed at curbing misuse of rules The decision is aimed at curtailing the practice of immediate retention of old number on new vehicles and hence curb the chances of misuse of the provision. Secretary, Transport, Vinay Pratap Singh said this amendment to the Chandigarh Motor Vehicles Rules was necessary to prevent the misuse of the provisions of retention of fancy numbers. The DC Office and the Registering and Licensing Authority had processed 1,324 applications for retention of fancy numbers in the past three years and collected Rs 1.41 crore in revenue. 2 held for snatching phone The flooded parking of the Sector 28 market after the rain. tor 22/23/35/36 intersection, Piccadilly Chowk, Sector 21/22/34/35 intersection and the underpass near the CTU workshop. The maximum tempera- ture today was 37°C, which is four degrees more than normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 30.6°C, which is four degrees above normal. —TNS Chandigarh, July 16 Two boys, including a juvenile, have been apprehended by the UT police for snatching the mobile phone of an elderly woman of Mani Majra. Charanjit Kaur (60) had reported that two motorcycle- borne boys snatched her mobile phone on the Old Ropar Road on July 5. During investigation, Sonu (20) of Pinjore and his 17-year-old accomplice were apprehended. The police impounded the motorcycle used in the crime. —TNS Railways nod to underbridge at Dhakoli level crossing Zirakpur, July 16 Giving a major relief from long wait and traffic jams, the Northern Railway has finally sanctioned a limited height subway (2x7mX3.50m) at the Dhakoli level crossing. The Rs 11.70-crore underbridge sanctioned by the Divisional Office, Northern Railway, Ambala Cantonment, will be built on a cost sharing basis with the state govern- ment. Both the Railways and the Punjab Government will contribute Rs 5.85 crore each. The Railways has written to the Zirakpur Municipal Council to deposit the amount with the Senior Divisional Finance Manager so that the project can be started. Mohali DC Aashika Jain said, “The state government’s contribution has been sanctioned.” c m y b The detailed project report was submitted to the Railways in September last year. KR Sharma, president, Unified Residents’ Welfare Association, said, “We hope the project is completed at the earliest providing relief to local residents from traffic jams at the level crossing.” Thousands of Zirakpur residents face inconvenience at the level crossing every day. Residents of around 60 housing societies in the area use the road commuting to Zirakpur, Chandigarh and nearby towns. They get stuck in traffic jams at the level crossing for about half an hour during the morning and evening rush hours. Residents of Baltana have also been demanding an underbridge at the level crossing there for a long time. — TNS Vehicles pass through the Dhakoli level crossing. RAVI KUMAR
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