04042024-CT-01.qxd 4/4/2024 12:20 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MOHALI POLICE BUST GANG OF THIEVES, SIX ARRESTED DEO TELLS CONTRACTORS TO SEND LIQUOR SALE REPORTS ROTARY CLUB FELICITATES MERITORIOUS STUDENTS Members of the gang broke shutters of shops and steal sanitary ware, brass and copper utensils. P2 Parneet Shergill holds meeting with the licensed liquor contractors and Excise Department officials. P2 Fatehgarh Sahib club honours Parneet and Jaskirat of Government Primary School, Kotla, Bajwara. P2 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 111 PANCHKULA 74 MOHALI 123 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF TWO PARKING LOT WORKERS BOOKED Chandigarh: Two parking attendants at the PGI have been booked for assaulting a woman and her son. A woman resident of Zirakpur had alleged that Surjit Singh, Sandeep and one more person, all parking attendants, thrashed her and her son Surender Kumar at the parking lot. The complainant sustained injuries and was admitted to the PGI. The police have registered a case under Sections 323, 341, 506 and 34 of the IPC at the Sector 11 police station. TNS MOBILE PHONE SNATCHED Chandigarh: Three motorcycleborne persons snatched a mobile phone from a woman. The complainant, a resident of Sector 15, reported that the miscreants snatched her phone near her house on Tuesday. The police have registered a case at the Sector 11 station and started investigation. TNS MAN HELD WITH STOLEN BIKE Chandigarh: The police have arrested a man with a stolen motorcycle. The police said the suspect, Jaspal, a resident of Kurali, was arrested at Maloya while he was riding a motorcycle that was stolen from area under the Sector 36 police station. A case has been registered against him and investigation started. TNS WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Mohali: Sector 76 Panchkula: Sector 5 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.6°C | MIN 15.5°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.43 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.07 AM » THURSDAY | 4 APRIL 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE All three CITCO hotels running without fire safety certificate Claim they have sough provisional NOC; no such provision: MC Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 3 For the past several years, the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation’s (CITCO) Hotel Mountview, Sector 10; Hotel Shivalikview, Sector 17; and Hotel Parkview, Sector 24, have been operating without fire safety certificate. In a letter, CITCO officials stated that the case for issue of Fire Safety Certificate was taken up in 2021 with the Fire Department of the Municipal Corporation (MC). Officials of the MC department visited the premises of Hotel Parkview and listed a number of discrepancies. The main issue raised by the department was to provide complete firefighting system in the entire building as per the National Building Code (NBC)-2016. In order to pursue the matter further, frequent visits were also made and discussions held regarding provision of low-side firefighting system with the Fire Department but the authority concerned clearly directed to put in place the system of firefighting as per NBC-2016 and apply for an NOC. The officials further stated that the provision of complete firefighting system as per the NBC-2016 is a specialised work, therefore, the Hotel Shivalikview has failed to get fire safety certificate. RAVI KUMAR NORMS FOR RUNNING BARS Sources said the CITCO hotels had been obtaining bar licences for the past many years by submitting an undertaking with the Excise Department that they have applied for the fire NOC. As per the norms, the department cannot issue a bar licence to a hotel or restaurant that doesn’t have the fire safety certificate. case for the appointment of firefighting consultant is under process and after the appointment of consultant, further action to provide the firefighting system would be taken up. The officials further submitted that the Old-Block of Hotel Parkview was constructed in 1984 and the Ground Floor of New Block was built in 1996. The rest of three floors were constructed in 2008 whereas NBC-2016 is applicable for buildings which are constructed after 2016 (as per the approved zoning plans prevailing at that time by the Department of Urban Planning, Chandigarh Administration). Thus, any regulations, rules, requirements or stipulations cannot be applied to the old building with retrospective effect. At present, automatic fire alarm system provided in the entire building of Hotel Parkview is in a working con- dition. Fire extinguishers are also installed. In view of position explained, the official requested that the matter may kindly be taken up with the higher authorities for issue of provisional NOC from the Fire Department. It also requested that legal opinion may also be obtained from the Law Officer regarding the applicability of NBC2016 on Old Buildings. Further, as per the directions of CGM, the case for issue of provisional NOC’s in respect of units may be taken by the respective HOD’s of Units on priority. The cases for issue of provisional NOC’s of Hotel Mountview and Hotel Shivalikview have already been dealt with and request letters issued to the office of Chief Engineer, UT, and Station Fire Officer concerned of the MC. A senior officer of CITCO said they had already removed the discrepancies pointed out the Fire Department and already applied for the provisional NOC. They are hopeful of getting it soon. Meanwhile, a senior MC officer said there was no provision of providing an provisional NOC. Also, as per the norms, the UT Excise and Taxation Department cannot issue a bar licence to a hotel or restaurant without getting the fire safety certificate. CHOCK-A-BLOCK: Huge rush at New OPD in PGI on Wednesday. RAVI KUMAR Patients suffer as contract workers of PGI go on strike Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 3 Several patients faced inconvenience at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) as nearly 3,500 outsourced employees staged a protest today. A large number of contract employees struck work to press for “same work, same wages”. Emergency and OPD services were hit due to the protest. The contract workers, including hospital attendants, clerical staff, sanitation and kitchen staff, lift operators and security guards, also demanded the release of nine of their colleagues from police custody. “I travelled all the way from Mansa for an abdominal check-up. However, the officials concerned asked me to come some other day. There was a huge rush of patients and only Emergency cases were attended to by doctors. The employees should understand the pain of the Outsourced workers stage a protest on Wednesday. OUTSIDERS BEAR THE BRUNT “I travelled all the way from Mansa for an abdominal check-up. However, the officials concerned asked me to come some other day. The employees should understand the pain of the patients,” said Raj Kumar, a patient. patients,” said Raj Kumar, a patient. “There was chaos due to this strike. I had to wait for two hours before my blood sample was taken. I hope, the situation improves soon and patients don’t suffer further,” ‘STRIKE ILLEGAL’ Late in the evening, PGI issued a statement regarding the strike. The authorities said the PGI was facing a strike by outsourced employees. This strike is a violation of the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had banned strikes and demonstrations in the hospital premises. said Partima, another patient. “Our nine colleagues should be released. We also demand that our services be regularised and salary hiked, which was promised by PGI continued on page 3 Shun differences, AAP tells alliance leaders, workers Foreign national held INDIA VOTES 2024 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 3 Amid dissenting voices by some AAP councillors over support to the Congress candidate for the city Lok Sabha seat, senior AAP leader Prem Garg exhorted the party leaders to shun differences or mis- conceptions about the alliance and asked them to strengthen the alliance, so that the BJP could be defeated. Garg was addressing a meeting of all senior leaders of AAP and the Congress, including the Mayor and councillors, held at his residence in Sector 21. The leaders expressed satisfaction over the progress made by the alliance in preparations of the Lok Sabha elections. City Congress president HS Lucky said whosoever was nominated as the party candidate, every volunteer would wholeheartedly support him. Congress leader Manish Bansal told the gathering that in Chandigarh, the Congress-AAP alliance was going to be a motivating force for many years to come and it would make history by winning the Chandigarh seat. Former Congress Mayor Subhash Chawla and senior leader Abha Bansal also spoke on the occasion. Garg claimed almost 200 senior continued on page 3 with 100 gm heroin Tribune News Service A meeting underway at residence of AAP leader Prem Garg. Chandigarh, April 3 A woman, who is an African national, has been arrested by the Operations Cell of the UT police with 100 grams of heroin. The police apprehended the woman, Neh Charlotte (35), who resides in Delhi, with the heroin near the petrol pump in Sector 52. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against her at the Sector 36 police station. The foreign national in custody of the UT police. She had arrived in India on a tourist visa in October. “We are investigating the source of the drugs and to whom it was meant to be supplied in Chandigarh,” said a police official. MC drops double fee plan for outside vehicles 2 kg heroin recovered on info Withdraws smart parking tender which also mentions free parking for two-wheelers, EVs Sandeep Rana FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 3 Municipal Corporation has dropped its plans on charging double the fee for non-tricity vehicles and providing free parking for two-wheelers and electric vehicles EVs in all 89 paid parking lots under it. Considering financial implications, the civic body has withdrawn the smart parking tender, which was floated earlier with these two new features. Now, after analysing the suggestions received in the pre-bid phase and reworking the whole tender, the MC will re-float it once the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections comes to an end. Sources told Chandigarh Tribune that while the MC had floated the tender with these two new features, the UT Administration had asked it to explain financial implications of this move. Following which, the tender The UT Administration had asked the MC to explain the financial implications of the move, following which the tender was withdrawn. An MC official claimed the decision on whether to include the two features — double charges for outside vehicles and free parking for twowheelers — in the new tender had not been reached yet. PRESENT RATES Vehicles parked in a paid parking lot of the MC at Sector 20-C, Chandigarh. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR was withdrawn. However, an MC official concerned claimed the decision on whether to include the two features in the new tender had not been reached yet. In July last year, the MC, under previous Mayor Anup Gupta, had approved free parking for two-wheelers and electric vehicles and double the parking fee for cars registered outside the tricity. All rates were to be applicable once smart parking system became operational in the city. Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had asked the MC to roll back its decision on charging double the parking rates for four-wheelers registered outside the tricity. However, the BJP-ruled MC went ahead with the move then. As per the tender with- drawn by the MC, car parking charges were Rs 15 for four hours, for parking up to 8 hours, Rs 20 and after that Rs 10 per hour. All these charges were double for outstation four-wheelers. The House had approved free parking for two-wheelers and electric vehicles (EVs). At present, Rs 7 is the rate for two-wheeler parking and Rs 14 for cars. These are flat charges. c m y b At present, ~7 is the rate for twowheeler parking and ~14 for cars. These are flat charges. The MC has 89 paid parking lots under it. New INDIA bloc Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor got the agenda regarding free parking for all kinds of vehicles in the paid lots run by the MC passed in the House meeting last month. The Administration is not in favour of this agenda too. All agenda passed by the MC House have to get the final approval of the Administration. given by jailed drug peddler Anti-Narcotics Task Force busted a drug racket recently Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 3 Disclosures made by a drug peddler, who was brought on production warrant from Ferozepur jail by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the UT police, have led to the recovery of 2 kg of heroin. The police have seized 3.6 kg of heroin in the case so far and arrested four drug peddlers. The ANTF had earlier arrested Lovepreet Singh, Sarpanch of Naurang Ke Sial village, Ferozepur, who is son of a former cop; Vikram Singh, alias Vicky, a music company owner; and a woman. A total of 1.6 kg heroin, three vehicles and Rs 4.5 were recovered from them. The police said Lovepreet, who is a member of an international drug syndicate engaged in cross-border smuggling, revealed the name of a drug The drug peddler brought on production warrant. smuggler, Krishan Singh (27), who was lodged in Feorzepur jail. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail for possessing 11 kg of heroin. The police brought Krishan on production warrant and managed to recover 2 kg of heroin from Amritsar on the basis of disclosures made by him. “Krishan had introduced Lovepreet to Dogar, alias Nambardar, a smuggler based in Pakistan, who started supplying drugs to Lovepreet, through some local peddlers,” said a police official. The consignment was delivered to Lovepreet by unknown persons and money paid to Dogar through hawala channels. Further investigation has revealed that Krishan had come in contact with Dogar through a friend. Krishan received the delivery of drugs at isolated places near border and got it sold to local peddlers. “Krishan was operating his network from the jail with the help of mobile phones,” the police added. The police said the heroin was supplied at a rate of Rs 1,100 per gram by smugglers from across the border, which was sold to drug addicts in Chandigarh for Rs 2,200 per gram.
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