09062025-CT-01.qxd 6/9/2025 12:25 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune HITESH PURI RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF CRAWFED YATHARTH CLAIMS BOXING GOLD IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Yatharth of Burail Club won 44-46 kg gold medal by beating Kushal representing Sector 42 centre. P3 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 42°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 42.1°C | MIN 28.9°C I DON'T CARE ABOUT GOING VIRAL, SAYS SURYANSH Chd Residents' Assns Welfare Fed unanimously elected him for another term at general body meeting. P3 FORECAST Suryansh, singer-composer from MP, has broken through noise and into hearts of millions with single song.P4 » » SUNSET MONDAY 7.23 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.21 AM » MONDAY | 9 JUNE 2025 | CHANDIGARH /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Tribune flyover back on anvil, UT to re-invite bids THE TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE Conceived in 2016, six-lane project remained stalled due to legal hurdles for five years Nitin Jain Tribune News Service COST UP BUSIEST JUNCTION The Tribune Chowk, a roundabout on the intersection of Dakshin Marg and Purv Marg on NH-5, is one of the busiest junctions in Chandigarh where over 1.5 lakh vehicles, including 1.4 lakh passenger car units (PCUs) cross on a daily basis, as per the official traffic study. Traffic chaos is a common sight here. Chandigarh Administration to re-invite the bids to construct the Tribune flyover. Following the directions, the UT Engineering Department has submitted the revised cost estimate (RCE) of the project amounting to Rs 245.09 crore for revised approval and sanction from the MoRTH. Now, a fresh tender will be floated to invite bids for awarding the work. “After a detailed discussion, the MoRTH Secretary opined The six-lane 1.6-km-long flyover will begin 200 metres after crossing the GMCH-32 roundabout and cross over the Tribune Chowk on NH-5 to end 300 metres short of the railway overbridge on the Dakshin Marg. ~ TIMELINE 33.39% PROJECT APPROVED: 2016 Not only almost five years have been lost due to the litigation but the cost of the nine-year-old project has also gone up by 33.39 per cent from ~183.74 crore, at which it was awarded in 2019, to ~245.09 crore (revised estimate in 2025). that since there has been a significant time gap since the award of work, it will be prudent to re-invite the bids and explore the current market response,” a senior official told The Tribune on Sunday. He disclosed that the MoRTH Secretary directed that the amount towards shifting of public health utilities should be deposited with the Ministry by the Chandigarh Administration. The work for construction MAP NOT TO SCALE ALIGNMENT FILE PHOTO Chandigarh, June 8 In a major development, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has decided to reinvite the bids to construct a six-lane 1.6-km flyover, rotary and an underpass at the Tribune Chowk on National Highway 5, which is one of the busiest junctions in Chandigarh. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting convened by the ministry in New Delhi recently to discuss the plans on traffic decongestion and development of road infrastructure in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali urban agglomeration, which has undergone massive urbanisation in the past years. The development assumes significance as the construction of a flyover, rotary and an underpass at the Tribune Chowk was approved in 2016, sanctioned and awarded by the Centre in 2019 at the cost of Rs 183.74 crore, following which the Letter of Award (LoA) was also issued in the same year. However, the project was stalled immediately after the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted stay, which was finally vacated with the dismissal of the public interest litigation (PIL) in 2024. The MoRTH Secretary V Umashankar, who chaired the meeting, which was attended by the senior functionaries of the Ministry and the Chandigarh Administration, Haryana and Punjab Governments, directed the PIL DISMISSED: SANCTIONED: April 30, 2024 February 11, 2019 FOUNDATION STONE LAID: REVISED ESTIMATE SUBMITTED: May 28, 2025 March 3, 2019 CURRENT STATUS: Revised AWARDED: approval, sanction from Centre awaited November 19, 2019 HIGH COURT STAY: November 20, 2019 of the flyover, rotary and underpass at the Tribune Chowk on NH-5 on a engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode was approved and sanctioned by the ministry on February 11, 2019, at a cost of Rs 183.74 crore. The LoA was issued on November 19, 2019. However, on the very next day, a PIL was filed by the RUN Club before the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the proposed cut- ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION PERIOD: 16-18 months ting of trees, following which the High Court granted stay on the execution of the project on November 20, 2019. The PIL was dismissed by the High Court on April 30, 2024. In view of the significant lapse of time (almost five years) and to decide the further course of action, a meeting was earlier convened by the MoRTH in June 2024, wherein the Chandigarh Chief Engineer (CE) was advised to submit the RCE TRIBUNE FLYOVER BY 2027: GADKARI ❝The Tribune flyover will be constructed within next two years by 2027. The project has been delayed for five years due to a legal hurdle. It will be the first flyover project in Chandigarh. This will be among several projects we are taking up to decongest the entire tricity region. — NITIN GADKARI, UNION MINISTER OF ❞ ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS along with revised phasing of expenditure at the earliest so that after approval to the RCE, the contract agreement could be signed with the selected bidder. On February 10, 2025, the UT Chief Engineer submitted the revised estimate based on the updated schedule of rates (SOR) amounting to Rs 246.09 crore instead of the revised cost estimate based on the updated price adjustment/escalation and GST for fresh approval. It included additional provision of shifting of the public health utilities, which was not the scope of the present agency that was awarded the project in 2019. Keeping in view the current situation, the MoRTH Secretary called for re-inviting the bids and exploring the current market response to award the much-delayed project afresh. Confirming the develop- APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Youth’s body found hanging near police station Tribune News Service Panchkula, June 8 The body of an unidentified youth was found hanging from a tree just metres away from the entrance to the AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB) police station in Sector 17, Panchkula, early Sunday morning. Passers-by noticed the body and informed the police. A team from the Sector 16 post rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. They carried a preliminary investigation at the crime scene. They police are treating the matter as a suspected suicide, though officials are careful not to draw conclusions prematurely. “We’re looking into continued on page 3 HALLOMAJRA, OLD AIRPORT CHOWKS ALSO UNDER WORKS The old Airport Chowk, Hallomajra T-point, and Hallomajra Chowk on NH-5 here will also be decongested. Taking cognisance of the heavy traffic congestion at these points, the Centre has decided to prepare a separate detailed project report (DPR) to mitigate these bottlenecks and decongest these points. It will be done by the Chandigarh regional office of the MoRTH on priority, said a senior functionary. Tewari bats for 5-yr City witnesses hottest day of season, sizzles at 42.1°C term of Mayor, will Mercury to rise by 3 degrees in next 3 days, intense heat wave predicted in region raise matter in Parl Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON ment, UT Engineering Secretary Prerna Puri said the fresh bids for the Tribune flyover project will be invited shortly as per the decision taken at the high-level meeting held in New Delhi recently. Sharing details, the UT Chief Engineer CB Ojha disclosed that an RCE of Rs 245.09 crore was submitted to the Centre on May 28 for revised approval and sanction, following which the tender will be floated to invite fresh bids for the project. He said the six-lane 1.6-kmlong flyover will begin 200 metres after crossing the GMCH-32 roundabout and will cross over the Tribune Chowk on NH-5 to end 300 metres short of the railway overbridge on Dakshin Marg. “The project will be completed within 16-18 months after the award of work,” Ojha shared, while adding that one side of the present two-way stretch will remain open for vehicular traffic during the construction period. Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 8 Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has strongly supported five-year tenure for Mayor in the city. He said he would incorporate the proposal in the Private Bill, which he would be introducing in parliament in near future. Tewari said the present oneyear tenure of Mayor is a totally failed system. The elected mayors are not to blame but the system is a structurally failed model. The one-year term gives little time to a Mayor to work on his or her ideas. The city has witnessed around 30 mayors since the formation of the Municipal Corporation. There is a need for a consensus over the issue, he said. “With due respect to the competence, efficiency and intelligence of all mayors who have served Chandigarh, their ability was also constrained by the structurally unsound model,” said Tewari. When the first election of the corporation were held in 1996, one big mistake was committed knowingly or unknowingly regarding fixing the tenure of the Mayor for one year. Due to this decision, the power and rights of the Mayor compared to administrative powers are becoming unequal. This has created an insidious power play situation, he said. The MP said as councillors are elected for five years, there is no justification in fixing the Mayor’s tenure at one year. He said he was also in favour of electing Mayor directly as well as putting in place the provision for his removal by councillors with two-thirds majority. Tewari said the Central Government was giving Rs 5,800 crore to the Chandigarh Administration. Out of this amount, Rs 1,800 crore must be allocated to the Municipal Corporation. Meanwhile, Jasbir Singh Bunty, Senior Deputy Mayor, supported Tewari’s views on a five-year term of the Mayor and direct election. He said it would ensure unhindered development of the city. Chandigarh, June 8 Chandigarh on Sunday witnessed the season’s hottest day with the day temperature touching a record high of 42.1 degree Celsius. According to the Meteorological Centre here, the department’s observatory at Sector 39 recorded the highest maximum temperature of 42.1 degree Celsius on Sunday. It said maximum temperatures observed on Saturday in southern and western parts of Punjab, including Chandigarh, were in the range of 4042.6 degree Celsius. The maximum day temperature in the city today was 2.2 degrees above yesterday’s mercury reading and was above normal by 3.3 degrees. The highest temperature in the region was recorded at 44.8 degree Celsius in Bathinda while Anandpur Tourists cool off near a waterfall in the Rock Garden in Chandigarh on Sunday. PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI Sahib witnessed less heat at 39 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature in Chandigarh on Sunday was recorded at 28.9 degree Celsius. Faridkot logged 30.5 degree Celsius minimum temperature, which was the highest in the region, and Anandpur Sahib 25.9 degree Celsius on Sunday. “Maximum temperature over northern and eastern parts of Punjab, including Chandigarh, is in the range of 37-40 degree Celsius,” said the MeT officials, while predicting that maximum temperatures are very likely to further rise by about 3 degree Celsius in Punjab, including Chandigarh, during the next three days. They said the maximum temperatures over southern and western parts of Punjab, including Chandigarh, are likely to be in the range of 43-46 degree Celsius over a few places during the next three or four days, leading to heat wave conditions in the region. They also predicted warm nights at isolated places during this period. “In view of the heat wave and warm night conditions during the next few days, all are advised to take adequate precautions,” the weathermen said. Panel recommendations A committee formed by the Cabinet Secretariat in 2018 had recommended a fiveyear tenure for Municipal Councils. It has all chief secretaries of UTs as members. The committee recommended a five-year tenure for mayors. It was against giving voting rights to nominated members of the Municipal Corporation. However, the UT Administration differed on both recommendations. In its reply to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Administration said it has been decided that the issues needed to be discussed at the next Administrators Conference. Bank told to refund ~96K debited online without OTP Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 8 The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I here has directed IndusInd Bank to refund Rs 96,000 to a consumer whose savings account was debited online in two unauthorised transactions without generating OTPs. The commission further ordered the bank to pay the consumer Rs 15,000 as compen- c m y b sation for mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses. The complainant, Amrit Kaur, a resident of Sector 32D, here had reported that two unauthorised debits of Rs 50,000 and Rs 46,000 were made from her savings account on May 7, 2023, through Internet banking. Advocate Gurminder Singh Phull, appearing for the complainant, asserted that no OTP (one time password) was received before these trans- actions were carried out. However, the complainant received two messages on her mobile that the amount has been debited online from the account. Despite promptly reporting the matter to the bank and the Cyber Cell, Chandigarh Police, Sector 17, no redressal was offered by the bank. IndusInd Bank claimed the transactions were authenticated through the login and swipe pattern method, argu- ing that no OTP was necessary under such a process. However, the commission found the bank’s claims to be unsupported by evidence and noted the absence of any record proving the complainant’s role in the authentication process. The commission observed: “There is no force in the submissions of the counsel for the bank as admittedly, no OTP was ever sent to the complainant by the opposite party before the disputed transactions had taken place.” The commission also said, “Moreover, the bank has also failed to place on record any material showing that the complainant had used the login details and swipe pattern on the basis of which the disputed transactions had taken place.” Phull cited the RBI’s guidelines on “Zero Liability of a Customer”. continued on page 3