19092024-CT-01.qxd 9/18/2024 11:14 PM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CONG MANIFESTO PRO-POOR, SAYS CHANDER MOHAN TWO KILLED IN SUV-TRUCK COLLISION AT KHARAR INFLUENCERS BEING FAVOURED BY FILMMAKERS Visits areas of Billa, Jaswantgarh, Asrewali, Bunga, Tibbi as part of his election campaign. P2 Two residents of Rupnagar died after the SUV they were travelling in rammed into a truck on flyover. P2 One of the key benefits of casting influencers in movies is that they have millions of active fans. P4 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Administration considering evaluating need for ambitious flyover project Dushyant Singh Pundir FALLS ON METRO ROUTE Since Metro is being planned along the same route, it will eliminate the need to construct a flyover at Tribune Chowk. A UT official Tribune News Service Launch of book ‘Echoes of Faith; Tales of Explorations, Nature and Divinity’: By Novel Lavasa and Ashok Lavasa, Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, September 20, 6 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Mohali: Sector 76 Panchkula: Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF AGENT BOOKED FOR CHEATING Chandigarh: The UT police have booked an immigrant consultant for duping a man on the pretext of sending him abroad. Avtar Singh, a resident of Ropar, alleged that Karan Gill, owner of Airpro Consultant, Sector 17, cheated him out of Rs 3.70 lakh. A case has been registered at the Sector 17 police station. TNS VALUABLES STOLEN FROM VEHICLE Chandigarh: A laptop and documents have been stolen from a car. Sachina, a resident of Sector 15, Panchkula, reported that a laptop, documents and Rs 100 were stolen from his car parked at the Sector 34 market. A case has been registered. TNS Chandigarh, September 18 The UT Administration is going to review the Tribune Chowk flyover project in view of the proposed Metro route passing along the same route. Sources said the administration was considering evaluating the requirement of the flyover in the light of the proposed Metro project for the city. “Since Metro is being planned along the same route, it will eliminate the need to construct a flyover at Tribune Chowk,” said an official. During a meeting with the Centre in June, it was decided that due to the heritage nature of Chandigarh, the Metro corridors in the city shall run underground. Accordingly, Corridor-1 from the PU to Sector 26 and Corridor-2 from Sukhna Lake to Sector 43/44 shall be underground. After the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in June had asked the UT Administration to submit fresh estimates for the proposed flyover. In fresh estimates prepared on the directions of the Union Ministry, which will fund the construc- ❝ ❞ The 1.6 km flyover has been proposed between GMCH-32 roundabout and the railway overbridge on Dakshin Marg. PRADEEP TEWARI tion the project, its cost has jumped from Rs183 crore to Rs 203 crore in the past five years. The ministry had approved Rs 183 crore for the project in 2019, before the project was stalled due to the High Court stay on cutting of trees. Five years later, the project cost has increased to Rs 203 crore. The sources, however, said even after nearly three months, the Administration was yet to send the revised estimates of the flyover project to the ministry. On a petition filed by the Run Club, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 20, 2019, had stayed the move of the UT Administration to cut 700 trees on both sides of the Dakshin Marg and the Purv Marg to pave the way for the construction of the flyover connecting Zirakpur and Tribune Chowk. On May 1, the Punjab and Haryana High Court vacated the stay on the cutting of trees. The Bench ruled that the stay granted on November 20, 2019, had set Chandigarh back by a decade. The city was conceptualised in 1950 and could not continue to remain the same. Development was an ever-going process. The town was planned for 5 lakh people. But today “we are dealing with the tricity, which includes Panchkula, Mohali and New Chandigarh, having a population of over 15 lakh”. To ease traffic at the chowk, which sees more than 1.43 lakh vehicles daily, the then UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had laid the foundation stone of the Rs 184 crore project on March 3, 2019. Developer gets another chance to give property info Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted last opportunity to Jarnail Singh Bajwa’s counsel to respond to a show-cause notice as to why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the developer and provide details of his movable and immovable properties. As the matter came up for a resumed hearing before Justice Sandeep Moudgil’s Bench, a senior advocate prayed for grant of additional time on Bajwa’s behalf to file a reply to the show-cause LAST OPPORTUNITY TO BAJWA “Last opportunity is granted to do the needful, which is being delayed, forcing the court to observe that prima facie it seems a deliberate and intentional attempt to subvert the proceedings and to derail the judicial process,” Justice Moudgil asserted. Justice Moudgil, during the course of proceedings, was apprised by counsel for the petitioner that the Supreme Court had dismissed an SLP , whereby interim orders passed by the High Court during the course of proceedings were challenged. The counsel also told the Bench that Bajwa and two other respondents were involved in multiple cases entailing similar offences wherein the matter was pending before the district/state consumer disputes redressal forums. “The details of same shall also be provided by the respondent on the next date of hearing,” the court asserted. The directions came on a petition filed by Kuldeepak Mittal against the State of Punjab and other respondents. Among other things, the petitioner contended the bail granted to Jarnail Singh was cancelled by the High Court vide order dated October 20, 2023. But action to arrest him had so far not been initiated. His counsel contended the reasons behind inaction on the part of official respondents, particularly the Mohali SSP and the Kharar SHO, was that Jarnail Singh was a wellknown developer. MAX 32°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 31.8°C | MIN 24.8°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.09 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD Tricity Metro casts shadow over Tribune Chowk flyover PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET THURSDAY 6.22 PM » THURSDAY | 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Mayor seeks action against officer for ignoring his letters Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 Expressing “great regret” for not getting any reply to his five back-to-back letters from the officer concerned, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor has written to Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, requesting him to provide the information required at the earliest and take action against the officer. In a letter to the Commissioner, the Mayor says, “I am writing with great regret that neither have I received any reply to the note yet nor has any official contacted me to explain the delay in filing reply. It is a clear violation of Section 38(6) of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as Extended to the Union Territory of Chandigarh by The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994.” “It is again requested that the information be provided as early as possible and action taken as per rule against the officer for delaying the reply,” says the Mayor. In his first letter wrote on August 29, Dhalor had sought information on Action Taken Reports on various issues raised by the councillors in the General House of the corporation held on August 27. Two days later, he shot off another letter regarding the appointment of “7,175 outsourced employees, which is more than double the sanctioned 3,205 vacant posts.” Next day, he sought information regarding the appointment of a Statistical Assistant on an outsource basis by relaxing the service rules. On September 2, the Mayor sought information about agencies providing vehicles for official use and entitlement of officials whom these have been provided. In his fifth letter, Dhalor requested for information regarding implementation of resolution to transfer the firemen working as clerks from the MC office to fire stations. Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor VIOLATION OF ACT In a letter to the Commissioner, the Mayor says, “I am writing with great regret that neither have I received any reply to the note yet nor has any official contacted me to explain the delay in filing reply. It is a clear violation of Section 38(6) of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as Extended to the Union Territory of Chandigarh by The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994.” or has mentioned following issues raised in MC House. ■ Councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi and Deputy Mayor Rajinder Sharma, were prevented from hoisting the national flag allegedly by Surinder Sharma, OSD (Booking Branch), at the Community Centre, Sectors 47 and 49, on the eve of Independence Day. Disciplinary action should be taken against the official concerned. ■ As per the instructions of the Adviser to Administrator as well as the Central Vigilance Commission, employees working on sensitive posts for more than three years should be transferred, but many staffers have been working on the same post for more than five or 20 years. ■ Four Executive Engineers and three Sub-Divisional Officers had been promoted recently despite the fact that they do not have the requisite eight-year experience in their previous posts. Also, these officers do not fulfil the service conditions. Facts regarding their promotion should be placed in the next meeting of General House. ■ A letter should be written to the Chandigarh Administration ask it under which section of the Corporation Act it rejected the resolution for providing the facility of free water and free parking to residents. Chandigarh: Vishal, a resident of Mani Majra, alleged that a laptop, gold jewellery and clothes were stolen from his house. The police have registered a case at the Mani Majra police station. TNS Two accused in custody of the UT police. 2 arrested for robbing cylinder delivery boy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 18 Two youths have been arrested by the District Crime Cell (DCC) of the UT police for robbing a gas agency employee of Rs 15,000 and documents. Surinder Singh, who delivers gas cylinders in the city, had reported that on September 15, he, along with his helper, was delivering cylinders in Sector 38 when two motorcycle-borne persons arrived there. The bikers threatened the complainant and robbed him of cash at knifepoint. The police have registered a case at the Sector 39 police station. During investigation, two suspects, identified as Pintu (30) of Jujhar Nagar, Mohali; and Akhil, alias Chandu (25), a resident of Dhanas, were arrested. The police also recovered the motorcycle used in the crime from the suspects. Both face cases registered against them in Chandigarh. third time a request was made for further time to comply with the orders. “Last opportunity is granted to do the needful, which is being delayed, forcing the court to observe that prima facie it seems a deliberate and intentional attempt to subvert the proceedings and to derail the judicial process,” Justice Moudgil asserted in his detailed order. 2 pedestrians killed in road accidents HOUSE BURGLED AT MANI MAJRA notice and also to provide the details of properties. Taking note of the submissions, Justice Moudgil asserted the senior counsel was undertaking to provide the list of properties as directed by the High Court on earlier two occasions – August 28 and 30. He was also undertaking to file a reply to the showcause notice on contempt proceedings. This was the Seats up from 50 to 150, BA-BEd Dept short of space Chandigarh, September 18 Two pedestrians died in separate accidents in the city. Both were hit by recklessly driven motorcycles. Surinder Singh Dhull, a resident of Kaimbwala, reported that a motorcycle hit a pedestrian, Sarwan, near the Kaimbwala turn. He was taken to the PGI where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police said the motorcyclist had been identified as Juber Ali. A case has been registered against him at the Sector 3 police station. He was arrested and later released on bail. The other accident occurred at Dhanas. Sachin Saxena, a resident of EWS Colony, reported that a motorcyclist sped away after hitting his father Vinod Kumar near a liquor vend. The victim was taken to the PGI where he succumbed to injuries. The police have registered a case. TNS Tribune News Service Issues riased in MC House In one of the letters, the May- Two more rooms allocated, but these lack basic amenities such as ceiling fans Akashdeep Virk Chandigarh, September 18 Institute of Educational Technology and Vocational Education (IETVE), Panjab University, offering four-year BA-BEd integrated course, got the number of seats increased from 50 to 150 this year after the course was introduced in three forms under the National Education Policy, but the infrastructure issue remains. The department, which was forced to run classes in the seminar hall as it had just four classrooms for 50 students, has now been provided with only two more rooms. The department is functioning from an old singlestorey building with four classrooms, two labs (one education and technology lab; one computer lab), one library and one office for nonteaching staff and has a total of 300 students. Two rooms have been opened up for c m y b FRESH COURSES This year, after the implementation of New Educational Policy, it has been revamped and three courses with 50 seats each have been introduced. Students at the Institute of Education Technology and Vocational Education at PU. RAVI KUMAR them but these lack basic amenities and do not have fans. According to officials of the department, two more rooms have been promised to them but not handed over as of now. “The rooms need renovation but we do not know when this will be done,” said a final year student. Chairperson Amritpal Kaur said, “We have requested the authorities to grant us a designated building with better facilities. We were already forced to run classes in the seminar hall as we do not have enough space for students. Now, we have 300 students and in 2026, we will have 600. Something needs to be done regarding this.” The department had been running the four-year integrated BA-BEd course since 2007 with 50 seats. This year, after adoption of New Educational Policy, it has been revamped and three courses with 50 seats each have been introduced. However, PU Registrar YP Verma claimed that there was no issue of space for the department.