27082024-CT-01.qxd 8/26/2024 11:20 PM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MAN DIES IN MISHAP, LOCALS BLAME POTHOLED ROAD GUPTA RELEASES BOOKLET ON WORKS DONE IN HIS TENURE ‘EXPERIENCES TAUGHT ME HOW TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED’ Yuvraj of Ghamandgarh village died in accident on Baba Namdev Road while trying to avoid a pothole. P2 It carries development works done in Panchkula during Gian Chand Gupta's 10-year tenure as MLA. P2 Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao believes when the universe is guiding you, everything falls into place. P4 » » CHANDIGARH Fireworks in House meet of civic body likely today Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service CSNA National Theatre Festival: By the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, Main Auditorium, Tagore Theatre; Sector 18-B, from August 27 to 31, 6:30 pm Play “Hunn Main Sett Hain”: By the North Zone Cultural Centre, Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16, 6:30 pm Seminar on ‘Role of Punjabi Military Warriors and Relevance of Lessons from their Campaigns’: By the Department of History, Panjab University, Golden Jubilee Seminar Hall, PU, Sector 14, August 29, 9:30 am to 4 pm India International Mega Trade Fair: Parade Ground; 11 am to 9 pm, on till September 2 APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29, Sector 56 and Dhanas Mohali: Sector 71 Panchkula: Sector 15 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF PASSPORT SEVA SITE UNAVAILABLE Chandigarh: The Regional Passport Office here has stated that the Passport Seva portal will undergo maintenance from August 29 to September 2, during which the system will be unavailable. Officials said all appointments scheduled for August 30 have been cancelled. The general enquiry counter at the main office in Sector 34 will be closed on August 30. Jewellery worth ~8 lakh stolen Dera Bassi, August 26 Thieves struck at a house in Trivedi Camp and stole gold ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh and Rs 1.15 lakh in cash. Reema Sharma stated that her mother Ravinder Sharma lived with her daughter in Trivedi Camp. As her mother was ill, she locked the house on August 23 and both came to stay with her. On August 25, the neighbours called up to inform that the locks of the house had been broken. The victim alleged that frequent theft incidents were being reported in the area but the police had done nothing in this regard. —TNS MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 36.2°C | MIN 27.4°C SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.57 AM FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Dance of faith TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Toilet workers' complaint against AAP councillor made part of agenda FILE WHAT’S ON TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET TUESDAY 6.50 PM » TUESDAY | 27 AUGUST 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Chandigarh, August 26 General House meeting of the Municipal Corporation’s scheduled for Tuesday is expected to be stormy as the Opposition BJP plans to rake up the issue of complaint against AAP councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi. The latter has also made up his mind to question the officers concerned about the reason for the complaint having been made part of the agenda of the meeting. In this complaint, workers looking after public toilets, which are maintained by various Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs), have alleged the councillor had told them that they should settle for a monthly salary of Rs 9,000 or leave the job. This complaint has been attached with the agenda item regarding framing of rules for operation and maintenance of public toilets in markets and parks. In many wards, these units are run by RWAs and Market Welfare Associations (MWAs) backed by councillors. The BJP councillors said THE COMPLAINT AGAINST COUNCILLOR In this complaint, workers looking after public toilets, which are maintained by various Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs), have alleged AAP councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi had told them that they should settle for a monthly salary of ~9,000 or leave the job. PREVIOUS MEETING WAS POSTPONED Earlier, the AAP councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi had a verbal duel with Mayor Kuldeep Singh Dhalor over this issue. It was also said to be one of the main reasons for the postponement of the previous House meeting to Tuesday. they would ask the MC for a probe into the matter, about which a formal complaint had been made and the same attached with the agenda. They said AAP should answer the actual reasons regarding the money involved in the operations of the public toilets. Laddi said, “I will ask officers under what section or rule they have attached a complaint against me with- out any proof. There are mala fide intentions behind attaching it with the agenda. They want to get it approved in the House and may get it probed through vigilance later.” He had earlier filed a complaint regarding this to Punjab Governor and UT Administer Gulab Chand Kataria. Earlier, the councillor had a verbal duel with Mayor Kuldeep Singh Dhalor over this issue. It was also said to be one of the main reasons for the postponement of the previous House meeting to Tuesday. Sources said the Mayor might find it tough to handle this House meeting as MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra, who had answered most uncomfortable queries during the previous House meetings, has been relieved and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vinay Pratap Singh given officiating charge as Commissioner a few days ago. The DC may not be as familiar with the MC issues as Mitra was. Meanwhile, agenda items, which mostly include laying of paver blocks, will be tabled during the meeting. Devotees during the Janmashtami celebrations at the ISKCON temple in Chandigarh on Monday. Zirakpur’s Vaibhav gets AIR 1 in NEET-PG Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 26 In the National Eligibilitycum-Entrance Test, Postgraduate ((NEET-PG)) results declared recently, a tricity lad, Dr Vaibhav Garg of Zirakpur, has made his family proud by attaining AllIndia Rank 1. Vaibhav completed his matriculation from St John’s School, Sector 26, here and did his 12th from Khalsa School, Sector 26. In 2018, he had attained All-India Rank 69 and had topped in Chandigarh in the NEET-UG examination. Despite having a great rank in the entrance test, Garg chose the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, since he Now, city residents UT Admn takes U-turn on conversion of to get electricity bills industrial plots into commercial ones in Hindi, English FILE Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 26 Starting this month, the city residents will receive their electricity bills in a new and simplified format. The bills will now be bilingual, featuring text in both Hindi and English. The UT Engineering Department has revamped the bill to make it more userfriendly, removing unnecessary information and adding useful details. Key changes include the addition of meter status, the last payment date and the amount paid. The back of the bill now includes guidelines and a notice under Section 56 of the Electricity Act, 2003, outlining potential actions if the bill is not paid on time. The bill also provides comprehensive information on payment methods, contact centres across Chandigarh and details on electricity rates, duties, taxes and cess to help residents calculate their bills. A senior officer stated that the new format was aimed at making electricity bills easier to understand, with all information now clearly presented in both Hindi and English. From this month, residents will have to pay more for power after the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) revised the fixed and power tariff in different domestic and commercial categories for the financial year 2024-25. The revised tariff are applicable from August 1. On an average, the commission had approved an increase of the 9.40% in power tariff. The Electricity Department had proposed an average increase of nearly 19.44% in the existing power tariff of all categories. According to the order, in the domestic category, the JERC approved a hike USER-FRIENDLY FORMAT Key changes include the addition of meter status, the last payment date and the amount paid. The back of the bill now includes guidelines and a notice under Section 56 of the Electricity Act, 2003, outlining potential actions if the bill is not paid on time. The bill also provides comprehensive information on payment methods, contact centres across Chandigarh and details on electricity rates, duties, taxes and cess to help residents calculate their bills. of fixed charge from Rs 15 to 30 per month. In the slab of 0-150 kWh (unit), the tariff per unit will continue to remain Rs 2.75. But in the slab of 151-400 kWh per month, the tariff will increase from Rs 4.25 per unit to Rs 4.80 per unit. Above 400 kWh per month, the tariff approved is from Rs 4.65 per kWh to Rs 5.40 per unit. In the HT domestic category, the tariff will increase from Rs 4.30 per unit to Rs 4.90 per unit. For commercial and non-residential building category, the major tariff change is in the slab above 400 kWh per month where the tariff has been approved from Rs 5 per unit to Rs 5.90 per unit. As per the proposal put up by UT, in the domestic category, the department had proposed a hike in fixed charge from Rs 15 per month to Rs 40 per month. The department had proposed a hike from Rs 4.25 to Rs 4.90 per unit in the slab of 151-400 units and an increase from Rs 4.65 to Rs 5.50 in the slab 401 units and above. In the domestic high tension category, hike from Rs 4.30 to Rs 5 per unit was proposed. Chandigarh, August 26 The UT Administration has taken a U-turn on the conversion of industrial plots into commercial ones in the industrial area of the city. Citing the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, the UT Urban Planning Department has clarified that converting industrial plots into commercial ones is not an option in the city, and the policy related to such conversion cannot be reintroduced according to the Master Plan 2031. After the meeting of the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council (AAC) held on August 18, 2023, the UT Administration had announced that it would release a draft policy for the conversion of industrial plots into commercial ones. Presiding over the meeting, the then UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had directed the Administration to allow the conversion of plots in the industrial area for business-to-consumer (B2C) activities, which broadly include shops, offices, banks, hotels, restaurants, training institutions, multiplexes, banquet halls, etc. The issue was brought to the committee’s attention by various members, prompting the request for a formal reply. However, in the action taken report, which will be presented during the coming AAC meeting, the Estate Office stated that the reply had been sought from the Urban Planning Department and it had been intimated that the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 states that “the Conversion Policy shall not be reintroduced and the industrial units shall be maintained as industries”, since conversion of land use of industrial sites into commercial activity has created manifold problems. Moreover, as per the plan of Chandigarh, ample commercial spaces have been provided in each sector of the city. The earlier conversion policy of 2005 was withdrawn on September 18, 2008. Under the previous policy, commercial activity could be started at industrial plots after a payment of fee either by con- version of land use or by fresh construction in accordance with guidelines of the architectural department. The same policy was to outline the conditions under which the industrial areas can be transformed into commercial zone. Further, the Estate Office stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had turned down the UT Administration’s proposal for conversion of industrial/commercial plots from leasehold to freehold. The AAC, which is comprised of 60 members and is headed by the UT Administrator, was established to advise the Chandigarh Administration on the city’s developmental issues. A new council is constituted every two years. Under the council, there are 10 standing committees constituted for various sectors, including education, urban development, environment, health, urban planning, law and order, sports, transport and traffic management. wanted to live here itself, his father said. Sanjeev Garg, Vaibhav’s father, is an Assistant Executive Engineer with the Haryana Power Generation Corporation and his mother Manju Garg is a teacher at the DAV Senior Secondary School, Surajpur. “He has always been very dedicated towards his academics and his goal. He truly wants to excel in the field. While he was pursuing his studies at the GMCH, Sector 32, in 2021, his Continued on page 2 Punjab cop’s son blackmails friend, arrested Chandigarh, August 26 The son of a Punjab Police ASI has been arrested by the Cyber Crime Cell of the UT for allegedly blackmailing a 21-year-old woman. The accused, identified as Tejinder Singh, son of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and resident of Jalandhar, reportedly became friends with the victim on the social media. The victim alleged that during their interactions, the accused recorded compromising videos and images of her during video calls, which he later used to blackmail her. After being threatened, the victim reported the matter to the police, leading to the registration of a case at the cybercrime police station. In a desperate attempt to evade arrest, Tejinder allegedly drank toilet cleaner as the police arrived at his place in Jalandhar. He was immediately taken to the hospital, treated and subsequently arrested after his discharge. The accused has since been produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. — TNS No decision on prez candidate, CYSS leaders in Delhi PU COUNCIL POLL Akashdeep Virk Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 26 Amid uncertainty over the presidential candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), leaders of the wing and Punjab MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura, who is also in charge of CYSS on PU campus, are camping at Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak’s house in Delhi. According to sources, the leaders were there to decide on a name after consultation with the MP who is also AAP , c m y b national general secretary. The AAP’s student wing, established in 2014, entered the university in 2022. It had won the maiden election the same year by winning the president seat. However, since most of the faces, including the winning candidate, were seasoned student leaders in other parties before they shifted to the CYSS, the party is reeling under factionalism on the campus. Since a lot of student leaders have been making claims to ticket, the party hasn’t been able to decide on a name. “We were given a call on FILE Sunday and were asked to be in Delhi on Monday. Most likely, it is the senior leadership in Delhi, which will be zeroing in FILE PHOTO on the name,” said a CYSS campus leader. Another student leader of the wing said, “It is unfortunate that Delhi leadership is deciding on the issue of the campus wing. We should be given a freehand to deal and decide regarding these matters.” However, Lalpura, who is Khadoor Sahib MLA, claimed that they were there for a formal meet-up since Pathak was their national general secretary. “He is our leader and he motivated everyone to contest in a right manner. We seek guidance from him and the candidate will be decided by the local leadership in Punjab and Chandigarh only,” said the MLA.