06102025-CT-01.qxd 10/6/2025 12:40 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune PGI HOLDS WALKATHON TO MARK MENTAL HEALTH DAY TRICITY GETS LIGHT RAIN; CLOUDY SKY TILL TUESDAY SARA & IBRAHIM WALK THE RAMP FOR ABHINAV MISHRA Over 400 persons participate in a walkathon organised by the PGI to mark World Mental Health Day. P2 The weatherman predicts generally cloudy sky with rain on Oct 6 and partly cloudy conditions on Oct 7. P2 Star siblings become showstoppers for designer Abhinav Mishra, turn ramp into spectacular showcase. P3 » » HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. RUCKUS IN HOUSEBabla alleges misconduct, hooliganism by four councillors Ramkrishan Upadhyay ADMINISTRATOR CAN’T ACT AGAINST ANY COUNCILLOR: EXPERT Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH LIT FEST: The annual Khushwant Singh Literary Festival; Kasauli Club, Kasauli (HP), October 10-12 MUSIC SHOW: Imagination the Souls of Music to hold “Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan”; Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16, October 11, 5 pm APNI MANDI Chd: Sec43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF ONE MORE NABBED FOR ~1.75-CR FRAUD Panchkula: The police have arrested the fifth accused in connection with a case of Rs 1.75-crore cyber fraud. The accused was identified as Harjeet Singh of Amritsar. He was produced in a court on Saturday and was remanded in police custody for four days. The case was registered following a complaint by Sushil Kumar, a resident of Sector 12A, at the Cybercrime police station on July 31 last year. TNS Chandigarh, October 5 Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla has written a letter to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria apprising him of the events that transpired during the MC General House meeting on September 30. Alleging that four councillors of the opposition parties, including Senior Deputy Mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty and Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta, indulged in gross misconduct, flagrant disruption and hooliganism, she demanded to fix the responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to procedural integrity and restore the esteem of the civic body in the public eye. She stated that the conduct of the four councillors — Prem Lata of AAP and , Jasbir Singh Bunty, Taruna Mehta and Sachin Galav of Congress — was nothing short of disgraceful, constituting a calculated and planned attempt to undermine the dignity and functioning of the democratic body. “Their disruptive actions commenced with a sustained A senior legal expert on the Municipal Act said the UT Administrator had no power under the law implemented in Chandigarh to take action against any councillor for an act done in a House meeting. The expert said the Mayor could file a complaint in court at personal level if she thought any councillor had misbehaved with her. << Congress and AAP councillors held a parallel meeting in the well of the MC House on September 30. FILE PHOTO and aggressive protest leading to unruly scenes that lasted several hours, stalling critical discussions on developmental agendas intended for the welfare of Chandigarh residents. The four councillors escalated the protest into a disorderly conduct when they tore up official copies of House meeting minutes and physically threw the shredded papers onto the Mayor’s dais, MC officials assisting the chair and also into the well of the House. “Such an action is a direct and visible act of contempt against the chair, the institution and the official records of the MC,” she stated. Babla said when the chair was compelled to suspend the four councillors and call for marshals to restore order, discipline and decorum, they engaged in an alarming display of resistance. The resultant scuffle and chaotic confrontation involving the marshals and the councillors, including Late-night party in Kharar turns gory, youth shoots friend dead Mohali, October 5 A late-night party among friends in a Kharar housing society turned fatal when one of them shot another dead around 5 am on Sunday. The victim, Shivansh Rana, a native of Una pursuing BCA, died on the spot. The suspect, Harvinder Singh Harry, also from Una, fled after the incident. The police said three-four friends were partying on the first floor of a rented house at Villa Palacio in Khanpur, Kharar when the suspect and the victim had an argument leading to the firing of a gunshot. The bullet hit the victim in the head and he collapsed. The police said the brother of the tenant had invited Shivansh and Harvinder and another person for a party at the accommodation. The body has been kept in the mortuary of the subdivisional hospital. The kin of the victim were informed following which they reached Kharar. A murder case has been registered, the police said while adding that they were investigating whether it was a licensed weapon or not. — TNS No funds since Feb, RWAs in a fix over neighbourhood park upkeep Federation asks civic body to release outstanding payments immediately Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 5 Citing financial difficulties in maintenance of neighbourhood parks, the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC) has asked the Municipal Corporation to release the arrears immediately. In a letter to the MC Chief Engineer, FOSWAC chairman Baljinder Singh Bittu stated that resident welfare associations (RWAs) were maintaining neighbourhood parks according to a memorandum of understanding between the associations and the civic body. The monthly payment of maintenance was not being released to the RWAs regularly during the past one year. No payment had been released since February this year, making it very difficult for the RWAs to maintain neighbourhood parks. The chairman of FOSWAC, which represents over 80 RWAs in the city, said it was requested to instruct the officers concerned to release the pending payment immediately. He said a deduction of 8 paise per sq m was being Horticulture waste in a greenbelt of Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI made from the monthly funds of the association for the clearance of waste from dust bins installed in the parks, even as residents who visit the park daily had been complaining that trash cans were not being cleared regularly, leading to foul smell in the area. A Sector 34 resident said it was very hard to get the tertiary water supply for the maintenance of the parks, causing a great inconvenience in maintaining them. Major RS Gujral, presi- dent of Defence Colony Welfare Association, Sector 35, said the association had surrendered the maintenance work after not receiving funds for the past many months. Now, the parks were in a dilapidated condition and trash was not lifted for days. He added that the condition of the parks was deteriorating day by day. Hitesh Puri, chairman of Chandigarh Residents’ Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) said the RWAs associated with the federation were also finding it difficult to maintain parks in the absence of funds. Around 86 RWAs maintain around 45% of the city’s 1,800 neighbourhood parks. The MC gives fixed monthly amount to RWAs for the job. Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla said she had directed the officials concerned to start releasing payments to RWAs as the MC had received Rs 125 crores from the UT Administration. c m y b pushing, brought shame to the House and eroded the dignity of the institution. The situation was exacerbated by the Senior Deputy Mayor, who later tried to usurp the authority of the chair by holding a parallel meeting in the well of the House and assumed the role of Mayor while the session was adjourned, making a mockery of the democratic set-up and esteem of the institution. “It is imperative that accountability is swiftly and firmly fixed to demonstrate a commitment to procedural integrity and to restore the esteem of the MC in the public eye,” she wrote. Babla urged the Administrator to take the strongest possible action to set a precedent that such a behaviour, which amounted to hooliganism within the sacred precincts of the General House, would not be excused and faith of the residents was restored in the democratic functioning of the civic body. MAX 27°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 19.4°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.19 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Fix responsibility, restore esteem of MC in public eye: Mayor to Kataria GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 6.02 PM » MONDAY | 6 OCTOBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Women lead from the front at varsity Hold several top administrative posts Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 5 Panjab University is setting an example of ‘women empowerment’ with a majority of its administrative posts being looked after by female faculty, including the chair of the Vice Chancellor (VC). Prof Renu Vig is the first female VC of the university. She was appointed as the 14th VC of the university in 2023 for a three-year term, which will end next year. The post of Dean University Instructions is held by Prof Yojana Rawat. Among other women leading from the front are Prof Meenakshi Goyal, Director, Research; Prof Latika Sharma, Dean Alumni Relations; Prof Sonal Chawla, Director, Computer Centre; Prof Sonal Singhal, Director, Internal Quality Assurance Cell; Prof Meena Sharma, Director, Central Placement Cell; Prof Jyoti Rattan, Director, IAS Centre; Dr Jayanti Dutta, Director MMTTC; Prof Simrat Kahlon, Chief Vigilance Officer; Prof Kumool Abbi, Director, Population Research Centre; Prof Suveera Gill, Honorary Director, Centre for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; Dr Rajinder Kaur, Director, Publication Bureau; Prof Upasna Joshi Sethi, VITAL FOR INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT: VC we recognise ❝At the PU,leadership is that women’s vital for shaping a progressive and inclusive academic environment. Our commitment is to ensure that talent and dedication are celebrated, irrespective of gender, creating a university culture where everyone canthrive. Prof Renu Vig, ❞ VICE CHANCELLOR, PU Honorary Director, ICSSR – NWRC; and Dr Rupinder Kaur, Chief Medical Officer. Recently, the university appointed Dr Namita Gupta, as Dean Student Welfare (Women). Among other women at the helm are coordinators Prof Shivani Sharma (Swami Vivekananda Centre), Prof Navjot (Ambedkar Centre), Prof Anju Suri (Institute of Social Science Education and Research), Prof Indu Pal Kaur, (DPIIT-IPR Chair) and Dr Bhavneet Bhatti, (Jyotirgamaya: 91.2 MHz - PU Community Radio Station).