21112024-CT-01.qxd 11/21/2024 12:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune GREEN PANEL TO INSPECT SUKHNA CHOE ON DEC 5, 6 ONE SIDE OF SINGHPURA FLYOVER FUNCTIONAL CELEBS CAST VOTE IN MAHA ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS A joint committee formed by the National Green Tribunal will inspect the 16-km stretch of the rivulet. P2 The National Highways Authority of India opens one side of the flyover in Zirakpur to traffic. P2 Superstar Akshay Kumar was one of the earliest voters to cast vote in the Maharashtra poll. P4 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Plans to increase levy to 16 paise per unit Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service TFT Winter National Theatre Festival: Play “Qismat Palace” directed by Akhilesh Narain to be staged on November 21, mini-auditorium, Tagore Theatre, 6:30 pm, entry free Naturally: An art exhibition by 13 artists; 105 Arts, Sector 11; on till November 22 Evening of jazz: With the Guillaume Barraud Quartet, Alliance Française, Sector 36, November 22, 7 pm, open to all Chandigarh, November 20 Residents are likely to shell out more for electricity. The Municipal Corporation (MC) has proposed to enhance municipal cess on power consumption by 60 per cent in order to tide over the ongoing financial crisis. The proposal to increase the cess from 10 paise per unit to 16 paise per unit (60 per cent increase), on the lines of the electricity tax in Punjab, will be tabled for discussion and approval in the MC General House meeting scheduled for November 23. According to the agenda, the MC had imposed municipal cess on electricity consumption within the MC limit at 10 paise per unit in 2019 (notification dated December 10, 2019) and it earns Rs 15-16 crore every year. The levy in Punjab is 2%, which comes out to be 16 paise per unit. In Haryana, it is 8 paise per unit. The enhanced levy will increase the income of the MC on this account from Rs 15-16 crore to Rs 22-23 crore per annum. The MC has also proposed to increase the rate of annual enhancement of ground rent for using municipal land for operating cable network in Chandigarh. A decision on the annual increase in ground rent was taken in 2018. The agenda for increasing the rate of annual enhancement in ground rent of cable operators from 10% to 20% every year will also be placed before the General House. The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) had approved a tariff hike of 9.4% for 2024-25 for electricity consumption in Chandigarh with effect from August 1. The orders of the JERC had been issued while considering the tariff petition for the 2024-25 filed by the UT Power Department in which a rise at 19.44% was proposed to bridge the cumulative revenue gap. The commission has allowed the tariff increase at 9.40% only against the petition filed by the Chandigarh Administration. UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria recently directed the Engineering Department to consider and rationalise the tariff for future. The department has been asked to consider the reduction of tariff and burden of lower income consumers. MAX 28°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 27.8°C | MIN 10.5°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.53 AM TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD MC proposes 60% hike in power cess MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET THURSDAY 5.24 PM » THURSDAY | 21 NOVEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE While victim oscillated between life & death, friends made videos DEATH IN PU HOSTEL Amit Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 20 While 24-year-old Vikas, who died of suspected drug overdose at boys’ hostel No. 7 of Panjab University yesterday, was oscillating between life and death, his two friends were making videos of him. The victim’s friends, Aryan Parbhat (21) of Kullu, a PU student; and Parikshit Kaushal (24) of Shimla, a former student of the university, have been arrested on the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. According to the investigation, videos recovered from Parikshit’s mobile phone revealed that Vikas, who also hailed from Kullu, had been lying unconscious since 3 am. The videos, recorded at 3:17 am, 3:46 am, 4:37 am and 7:58 am show disturbing scenes. In one clip, Parikshit is seen recording while Aryan, appearing to have been under the influence of some intoxicant, smokes a cigarette and blows smoke into the victim’s mouth pretending that he was performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Another video shows Aryan covering Cops at boys hostel number 7 of PU where Vikas died of suspected drug overdose. Vikas’ nose with a blanket. In one of the videos, Parikshit is reportedly seen telling Aryan that make the victim smoke so that he never gets up again. According to the FIR registered at the Sector 11 police station, the suspects delayed taking Vikas to the hospital despite his deteriorating condition. Several hours later, he was taken to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16. The police received information about the incident from the hospital around 10 am. The police stated that the two suspects revealed that they all consumed drugs in the hostel. During a search of the hostel room No. 93, block 1, two syringes and a bottle carrying an unidentified substance were found. A forensic team also examined the evidence. The police have registered a case under Section 105 (culpable homicide that does not amount to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The mobile phone has been seized by the police. Box – Disturbing scenes In one of the videos, Parikshit is seen recording while Aryan, appearing to have been under the influence of some intoxicant, smokes a cigarette and blows smoke into the victim’s mouth, pretending that he was performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Another video shows Aryan covering Vikas’ nose with a blanket. Entry of outsiders goes unchecked as Committee flags irregularities in hiring of clerks at PGI PU faces shortage of security staff INBRIEF LAPTOP STOLEN FROM CAR Chandigarh: A Nayagaon resident reported that his laptop was stolen from a car while it was parked in the Sector 32 market. A case has been registered at the Sector 34 police station. TNS YOUTH INJURED IN ACCIDENT Chandigarh: In a hit-and-run case, a 20-year-old youth was injured when his motorcycle was hit by a vehicle on the Sector 21/34 road. The victim, Daksh of Sector 23, was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. TNS 3 ROBBED OF PHONES, CASH Dera Bassi: Five youths snatched the mobile phones and Rs 17,000 from three scootyborne youths on the BarwalaDera Bassi road around 3:30 pm on Wednesday. Atul Kumar, a resident of Barwala, said he and his two friends, Satish and Sushil, stopped to relieve themselves. Five youths carrying sticks and rods arrived there and snatched their mobile phones and money. TNS Only 240 guards to man campus having more than 15,000 students Sheetal Akashdeep Virk Chandigarh, November 20 The Joint Action Committee of the PGI Contract Workers Union (JAC) has submitted an online complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi, alleging irregularities in the recruitment of 15 lower division clerks (LDCs). The PGI authorities have termed it as a false accusation. According to Ashwani Kumar Munjal, Chairman, JAC, “Ten LDCs were hired in July for a ‘fixed duty’ under the contractual labour system. As per the policy practised earlier, the ‘fixed duty’ under contract is awarded to ‘relievers’ (who fill in on a temporary basis for contract or regular staff in times of off-duty, strike or Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 20 Entry of non-students goes unchecked on the university campus, especially late at night, when there is just one guard deputed at each hostel. For over 15,000 students residing on the campus, of whom about 40 per cent are boys, there are just 240 security personnel. They are deployed at different places across the campus. The university is short of around 150 security personnel. According to sources, more than 150 personnel are needed. The same number of personnel was required in 2008 when there were fewer students and buildings than what are today. For the 24-year-old youth, who died in a hostel yesterday, no entry was marked in the guest register. It is not tough for an outsider to sneak into the eight boys’ hostels and reside there. With a large number of non-residents and outsiders visiting the hostel mess for food, an intruder FILE Literati: 12th edition of Chandigarh Lit Fest, Lake Club, 11 am, on November 23 and 24, entry free APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Panchkula: Sector 5 Mohali: Sector 76 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com WARDENS TOLD TO PULL UP SOCKS After the death of a youth (an outsider) at boys hostel No. 7, the Dean Student Welfare, Prof Amit Chauhan, has issued instructions to the wardens to keep a vigil in their respective areas and share updates of raids and checks everyday with him. Chief Security Officer Vikram Singh said the back gates of the hostels would remain closed. can easily be missed by the security staff. “The guard stationed at each hostel is supposed to take care of other things as well, like switching on and off the water motor and guarding the premises at night. During this time, outsiders may sneak into hostels,” said a PU security guard. Moreover, visitors can enter the campus through the three gates of the cam- pus, especially by twowheeler riders. “It is not possible to check the identity cards of everyone during the daytime. The university has more than 200 colleges affiliated to it and many students from these institutions come to the campus for various tasks,” a senior university official said. Vehicles, which are stopped for checking identity cards during the night, are generally SUVs. Tribune News Service prolonged leave). But all 10 LDCs have not worked in the PGI for a single day as ‘reliever’. We have even attached a list of 10 LDCs, who joined in July, and another one of relievers to draw a comparison. Five more LDCs were hired in recently, but the list is not available to us.” A PGI spokesperson calls the accusations baseless. The PGI authorities said the responsibility for employing outsourced workers lies solely with the service provider, M/s M4 Solutions Private Limited, which operates independently in this capacity. The official statement reads: “On July 1, 2024, M/s M4 Solutions Pvt. Ltd. submitted a formal communication listing 10 outsourced workers designated for deployment across var- ious departments at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, in strict accordance with institutional requirements.” The PGI has also clarified that the Deputy Director (Administration) and the administration itself have no jurisdiction over the hiring of these outsourced workers. “In fact, the employment files for these workers do not even pass through the Dy. Director (Administration), underscoring that he has no involvement in their employment. This clear delineation of responsibilities serves to further substantiate that the allegations are not only unfounded but also grossly misleading, thereby, being a deliberate attempt to create a ‘trust deficit’ among public for the institute,” reads the statement. Dhakoli crossing shut for 4 days Tribune News Service Mohali, November 20 The Dhakoli level crossing will remain closed for next four days due to maintenance work to be carried out the Northern Railway from November 21 (8 am) to 24 (8 pm). Railway officials said the tracks at Gate No. 120 required repairs, change of rail, welding, packing etc. Residents of Dhakoli, Zirakpur, Panchkula and Dera Bassi will be inconvenienced due to the closure of the level crossing. The spot witnesses traffic jams in the morning and evening hours. Protesting students reject proposal for forming stakeholders body PU SENATE REFORMS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 20 Students protesting against the delay in elections to the Panjab University Senate have decided not to accept a proposal of the authorities to constitute a stakeholders’ committee, which could have suggested reforms to the Senate. The students, agitating under the “Panjab University Bachao Morcha” , have demanded that the Senate should be revived and the body should itself pass reforms. The university had also sent the recommendations of the 2018 committee formed under the chairmanship of Justice Dr Bharat Bhushan Parsoon to the protesters, to serve as the base point of reform discussions. “We do not want to be a part of the authorities’ INCREASE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS: FELLOWS Elected senators have stated that while the governance reforms committees of 2018 and 2021 had suggested downsizing the body to about half of its present strength, the number of elected Fellows should be increased in view of the rising number of students and more than 200 affiliated colleges. The committee formed under the attempt to get the reforms suggested through us, ultimately shifting the onus. For such a task, expert committees should be formed. c m y b chairmanship of retired Justice Dr Bharat Bhushan Parsoon in 2018 had recommended a reduction in the number of Senate members from 93 to 46. In 2021, another committee, under the chairmanship of Prof RP Tiwari, then VC of Central University, Bathinda, had proposed to reduce the Senate size from 93 to 47. Two bodies were formed earlier in 2018 and 2021 and their recommendations have already been sent to the Chancellor. Nothing has be done on those lines,” said Avtar Singh from the Student Organisation of India, a student leader of the morcha. On Monday, five members from the morcha — Fellow Simran Dhillon, Avtar Singh from the Student Organisation of Panjab University, Rimaljot from SATH, Gagan from Punjabnama and Gursimran Arif Ke from the Shiromani Akali Dal-backed Student Organisation of India — had met the five-member PU body comprising Dean of Student Welfare Prof Amit Chauhan, Prof Navdeep Goyal, Prof Emanual Nahar, Prof Nandita and Prof Sukhvir Kaur. The meeting was chaired by VC Renu Vig. The authorities proposed that a committee of stakeholders, including students, Fellows, alumni, teachers and non-teaching staff, could be constituted that could give suggestions on reforms with regard to the Senate, which will be forwarded to the Chancellor.