16032026-CT-01.qxd 16-03-2026 00:41 Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune THREE INJURED AS CAR CRASHES INTO TEA STALL FOUR-DAY RAGINI UTSAV-26 CONCLUDES AT KALAGRAM KULDEEP TIES THE KNOT WITH VANSHIKA IN ROYAL CEREMONY Three persons hurt as a speeding car rams into ice-cream vend before crashing into a tea stall in Kharar. P2 The four-day Ragini Utsav-26, organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre, concludes at Kalagram. P3 India’s premier bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, tied the knot with his childhood friend Vanshika in a regal ceremony. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 71 PANCHKULA 54 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON 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 Google search for courier firm costs ex-Colonel ~12L Chandigarh, March 15 A retired Army officer from Chandigarh was allegedly duped of over Rs 12 lakh in a case of cyber fraud. In a complaint to the police, Col Rajbir Singh Duggal (82), a resident of Victoria Enclave in Sector 50-C, stated that Rs 12,05,000 were transferred from his bank account after his mobile phone was compromised. On March 9, Duggal had searched online for a contact number of Blue Dart to send a courier to Pune. He made a call on the number found on the Internet, and was asked Continued on page 3 Rain likely today Chandigarh, March 15 The weather department has predicted light to moderate rain in Chandigarh and Mohali on March 16, 19 and 20. The Tricity received light showers in the morning and late in the evening on Sunday, slightly bringing down the mercury. The maximum temperature of the city was recorded at 26.5°C today, which is 3.6 degrees less than that of yesterday. — TNS Hospitality biz halved, switches to traditional cooking methods Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 15 The shortage of commercial LPG cylinders continues to cause trouble in the city, disrupting social events, businesses and daily life. People are still seen visiting gas agencies in search of cylinders. The LPG shortage has particularly affected families having weddings, birthday celebrations or religious functions scheduled in the coming days. Several caterers and banquet operators say they are advising customers to postpone events due to the unavailability of commercial gas cylinders. At the same time, new bookings are being accepted cautiously, as they were unsure about future gas supplies. Caterers across the city say that for events already booked, food was being prepared using coal-fired stoves and traditional chulhas. However, this method was slow and less efficient compared to LPG cooking. As a result, many event organisers are reducing the number of guests or cutting down on the menu to manage the situation. People with LPG cylinders at a gas agency in Landran village of Mohali on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY The shortage of commercial cylinders has also affected restaurants, hotels and roadside food vendors. Many restaurant owners report that their sales have dropped by nearly half. Some eateries are even on the verge of shutting down temporarily because they cannot operate their kitchens without a steady supply of LPG. A caterer said, “We are running coal furnaces to manage existing bookings, but gas cooking is far more efficient and reliable.” The shortage has also encouraged black marketing. According to vendors, commercial cylinders are being sold on black at prices rang- Airport Security Training Institute, lab to come up at old terminal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 15 An Airport Security Training Institute will be set up at the old Chandigarh airport terminal. In the Action Taken Report submitted during the UT Administrator’s Advisory Council meeting on Thursday, the UT Transport Department stated that the old Chandigarh airport terminal is being developed into an Airport Security Training Institute. An Airport Security Lab is also being planned at the terminal site. According to officials, the old terminal remained largely unused for commercial flights since the opening of the new terminal in 2015 and the government was focusing on its reuse for training rather than returning it to passenger service. The Civil Aviation Ministry had already clarified that there was no plan to make the old terminal building at the Chandigarh airport operational for passengers. In reply to a question raised by city MP Manish Tewari during the previous Lok Sabha session, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation had stated that the old terminal building at Chandigarh airport had been repurposed for various functions and there was no proposal to make the old terminal operational for passenger movement. Tewari had asked whether the government had any plans to make the old terminal operational again and if not, the reasons for allowing the wastage of public resources to continue by keeping the renovated infrastructure idle. Tewari had also sought the details of total expenditure incurred by the government on reconstructing, renovating or refurbishing the building between 2010 and 2014. The minister stated that the cumulative expenditure incurred by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on reconstructing, renovating, refurbishing or rebuilding the old terminal between 2010 and 2014 was Rs 43.86 crore. Tewari further asked Continued on page 3 UT, MC to spend ~202 cr on repair, recarpeting of roads, cycle tracks Work on 96 km to be completed by March 31 this year at ~50 crore Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 15 The UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation (MC) have launched a comprehensive road repair and recarpeting drive across the city, targeting completion of 96 km of roads and cycle tracks by March 31, at a combined expenditure of about Rs 50 crore. The drive covers both UT Engineering Department roads and MC roads, with a larger programme of 889 km planned for financial year 2026-27 at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 152 crore. “My commitment to the people of Chandigarh is to provide the best basic amenities — motorable roads, functional cycle tracks, round-theclock power and water supplies, clean surroundings Road carpeting work underway in Chandigarh. PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI and well-lit streets — backed by an administration that is accountable, responsive and transparent in every delivery,” Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria told The Tribune. UT Chief Engineer CB Ojha, who also holds the officiating charge of MC Chief Engineer, said the Engineer- ing Department under the UT Administration oversees a total of 727.21 km of roads — comprising V1 national highway stretches, V2, V3 and other roads — and 114.40 km of cycle tracks. Of these, 358.42 km of roads and 13.10 km of cycle tracks were identified as requiring repair or recarpeting in 2025-26. Before the onset of winter, 68.67 km of roads were repaired and recarpeted at the cost of Rs 11.84 crore and 11.80 km of cycle tracks at the cost of Rs 50 lakh. The total expenditure stood at Rs 12.34 crore. The Administration is targeting completion of work on 26.51 km of roads at the cost of Rs 8.74 crore and 1.30 km of cycle tracks at the cost of Rs 16 lakh by March 31 this year. In the year 2026-27, the UT will take up the work of 306.08 km of roads at an estimated cost of Rs 52.50 crore. “Work is progressing simultaneously on multiple stretches under the UT Engineering Department. Priority has been given to the most deteriorated sections,” said Prerna Puri, UT Engineering Secretary. Meanwhile, the MC looks Continued on page 3 c m y b ing from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 above the regular rate. Street vendors are among the worst affected. Rahul, a food vendor in Sector 15, said he stopped cooking full meals due to the shortage. “I can only prepare tea and parathas on a stove,” he explained. Many restaurants have also reduced their menus, removing dishes that require heavy gas usage and adding items that can be prepared in a tandoor (clay oven). The impact is also visible in private celebrations. Vandana, a resident of Sector 21, said she had to postpone her son’s birthday party after a restaurant declined to serve the full menu for want of LPG. Meanwhile, sales of electric heaters, induction cooktops and traditional stoves have surged in the city, with prices rising due to the increased demand. A hotelier said the gas shortage has severely impacted the hospitality sector. He urged authorities to ensure a regular supply of commercial LPG cylinders to restaurants, hotels, and caterers to prevent further disruption to businesses and social activities. MAX 29°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.5°C | MIN 14.8°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.30 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Caterers in city feel the heat amid commercial LPG crisis PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 6.31 PM » MONDAY | 16 MARCH 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Comply with ~1.5-crore relief order by March 27: HC to UT Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 15 Nearly six months after the UT Administration was directed to pay Rs 1 crore to the father of a student who died and Rs 50 lakh to a girl who lost her arm in the Carmel Convent School treefall tragedy, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has now warned the authorities concerned to appear virtually before the Bench if the order is not complied with. As the petition alleging contempt of court was placed before Justice Vikas Bahl’s Bench, counsel Ramdeep Partap Singh and Sahil Koul submitted that the amount had still not been disbursed even though the judgment granting the compensation was passed on September 29, 2025, and a legal notice seeking compliance was issued on January 30 this year. UT additional standing counsel Shubreet Kaur and junior panel counsel Dhruv Walia, on the other hand, submitted that an appeal in the matter was filed on March 12. Visibly unimpressed by the submission, Justice Bahl asserted: “It is apparent that the said appeal has been filed after receiving advance copy of the contempt notice. At SCHOOL TREE TRAGEDY Asks authorities to file compliance report or appear virtually on next hearing A girl student died while another lost her arm in the July 2022 incident at Carmel Convent School, Sector 9. FILE any rate, there is no stay of the operation of the order dated September 29, 2025.” Fixing the case for further hearing on March 27, Justice Bahl called for a compliance report by the next date of hearing. Justice Bahl also made it clear that failure to comply with the compensation directions could invite personal accountability. “In case the respondents do not comply with the directions given by the Single Judge with respect to the payment of compensation to the petitioners, the respondents are directed to be present through videoconferencing,” the Bench ordered. Rejecting the Administration’s defence that the mishap was an “act of God”, the court had in September last year held the UT liable for negligence, while admonishing it for showing “a lack of empathy and sensitivity” in resisting the compensation claim. “This conduct reflects a lack of empathy and sensitivity on the part of the Chandigarh Administration,” Justice Kuldeep Tiwari had observed while noting that the UT readily implemented all remedial measures recommended by an inquiry committee except the direction for compensation. Court’s admonition The Bench had also expressed “grave concern” over the Administration’s Continued on page 3