09052024-CT-01.qxd 5/9/2024 12:17 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MOHALI MLA IN SPOT AFTER PROTEST OUTSIDE GMADA CLIENTS JITTERY AFTER 'FRAUD' AT SIALBA MAJRI BANK HERE’S WHY MADHURI DIXIT TOOK A BREAK FROM ACTING Members of Sec 76-80 Plot Allotment and Development Welfare Committee pitch tent near GMADA office. P2 'Fraud' involving manager of a cooperative bank in Sialba Majri village comes to the fore. P2 Madhuri Dixit Nene has spoken about her decision of taking a break professionally to start a family. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 173 PANCHKULA 234 MOHALI 188 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD INBRIEF MAN KILLED IN ACCIDENT Chandigarh: In a hit-and-run case, a scooter rider died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle. The police said the scooter Manoj was riding was hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Sector 9/10 road. He was rushed to the Government Multi-specialty Hospital, Sector 16, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police have registered a case at the Sector 3 station and started investigation. TNS RESIDENT DUPED OF ~32 LAKH Chandigarh: A fraudster has duped a city resident of Rs 32.55 lakh. According to the police, Devinder Singh, a resident of Sector 42, reported that he got a message on the Telegram app regarding an opportunity for working from home. The complainant alleged that the fraudster duped him of Rs 32.55 lakh on the pretext of making an investment in a company. A case has been registered. TNS MOBILE PHONE SNATCHED Chandigarh: A scooter rider has snatched a mobile phone at Kajehri village. Karan reported that an unidentified person snatched his phone near his house. The police have registered a case at the Sector 36 police station. TNS YOUTH HELD FOR CARRYING KNIFE Chandigarh: The police arrested Ashish (22) of Sector 56 with a knife on the Sector 55/56 road. A case under the Arms Act has been registered against him at the Sector 39 police station. TNS WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI CHANDIGARH: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar MOHALI: Sector 76 PANCHKULA: Sector 5 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 37°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 37.2°C | MIN 23.7°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.05 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.32 AM » THURSDAY | 9 MAY 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE 2 Independents file papers Rana retired from Haryana Civil Sectt, Shakeel runs small biz INDIA VOTES 2024 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 8 On the second day of filing of nominations for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, two Independent candidates submitted their papers today. Partap Singh Rana (65), a resident of Baltana, has filed nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha election from Chandigarh. A retired employee of the Haryana Civil Secretariat, Rana is a Class 9 pass-out from SD School in Ambala in 1973-74. His wife Usha Rani is councillor from ward number 1 of the Zirakpur Municipal Council. She had contested the election with the backing of the Congress and later left the party. She is now an Independent councillor. “I, along with other residents of the area, have been demanding railway underpass at Raipur Kalan, but it did not come up owing to Partap Singh Rana, Independent candidate, files his nomination. Shakeel Mohammad (sitting) is also seen. PRADEEP TEWARI CANDIDATES FOR CITY LS SEAT Partap Singh Rana (65), a resident of Baltana, is a retired employee of the Haryana Civil Secretariat. He is a Class 9 passout from SD School in Ambala in 1973-74. He had been a trade union leader and observed fast on five occasions for the construction of a railway underpass at Raipur Kalan. He and his wife have assets worth nearly Rs 3.30 crore. political reasons. I want to raise the issues of the residents of the city,” Rana said, while adding that the Metro project had been delayed by nearly 10 years. His agenda was to make the city signal- Shakeel Mohammad (35) did his MBA from Shobhit University in Meerut. He runs small business entities like cyber café and general store. He wanted to contest the MC elections from Kajheri in 2021, but the seat was reserved for SC candidate. He claimed that no issues faced by residents had been resolved in the past 10 years. He and his wife own assets worth Rs 30.72 lakh. free in five years, he said. He had been a trade union leader and observed fast on five occasions for the construction of the railway underpass. Rana and his wife have assets worth nearly Rs 3.30 crore, including a house in Baltana, gold jewellery and cash. An FIR was registered against him under Sections 147 and 174-A of the Railway Act at the RPF Post in Chandigarh on September 5, 2021. Charges have been framed in the case on February 8 last year. Shakeel Mohammad, 35, also filed his papers as an Independent candidate. He did his MBA from Shobhit University in Meerut. He left a private job to devote time to politics. He runs small business entities like cyber café and general store to earn his livelihood. Living in Kajheri area of Chandigarh, Mohammad has been politically active for the past 10 years. Earlier, he was an Aam Aadmi Party worker but left the party due to ‘personal reasons’. He wanted to contest the MC elections in 2021, but the Kajheri seat was reserved for SC candidate then, he said. In the past 10 years, none of the issues faced by city residents had been resolved and he wished to work for the development of the city. Mohammad and his wife own assets worth Rs 30.72 lakh, including their house. Summer pangs: Taps run dry at Dera Bassi tehsil complex Fire breaks out at Attawa hotel Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 8 A fire broke out at GK Hotel in Attawa here this afternoon. Guests and staff members were evacuated safely. Firemen said the fire broke out due to a short circuit in the AC. According to information, three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. The blaze was controlled in sometime and no major damage was reported. Fire vehicles faced tough time in making their way through narrow lanes of Attawa. Vehicles parked on the roadside made the matters worse. The fire broke out in the kitchen of the hotel. A large number of onlookers gathered at the spot as firefighters tried to douse the flames Local councillor Jasbir Singh Bunty also reached the spot. He said soon after the mishap was reported, the fire wing team rushed to the spot. Mohali, May 8 Dera Bassi tehsil complex is in dire straits this summer season. Visitors and staff have been grappling with the scarcity of potable water for the past one months. The taps have run dry as the newly inaugurated tubewell has stopped working after the electricity connection was reportedly snapped due to the non-payment of bill. Seeing every soul in the tehsil complex parched, a benevolent employee has arranged for a couple of campers at the main entrance to the complex. Visitors said the employee had been performing the “sewa” at the tehsil complex in the peak summer season. Buckets are being arranged on an hourly basis for the washrooms meant for senior officials. Sources said the pending amount had been piling on for months but the PSPCL’s patience had run out now. Visitors and advocates said PSPCL disconnects power supply to tubewell over non-payment of bill A man drinks water from a tanker at the tehsil complex on Wednesday; and (below) taps without water. RAVI KUMAR drinking water was at a premium here and toilets remain dirty for most part of the day. Till the time the power supply is restored, the Dera Bassi Municipal Council is sending tankers to fill the overhead water tanks. “But water hardly lasts for a few hours,” a staff member said. Officials of the Dera Bassi Municipal Council said the problem would be resolved soon. Tribune News Service The axle of a tractor came off as it hit the rough patch near the Singhpura chowk in Zirakpur on Wednesday; and (below) iron bars protruding from a drainage on national highway. RAVI KUMAR Day after girl dies in accident, NGO lodges complaint against NHAI, contractor Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Zirakpur, May 8 A day after 12-year-old Ananya, a Class VII student of a private school, was crushed under the wheels of a truck, work to lay bitumen mixture on the bald patch on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway near the Singhpura chowk is yet to be started. Iron bars protruding from the road drainage continue to pose danger to road users. Worse, no lighting arrangement has been made at the spot ever since the construction of the vehicular underpass (VUP) started two years ago. A large number of children commute to their respective schools on two-wheelers through this dangerous stretch on national highway. Zirakpur residents expressed their anguish through social media posts a day after the tragedy struck a family of Preet Colony. Residents’ Welfare Associations are aghast at the callous attitude of the NHAI in constructing a proper service lane at the VUP construction site. The bald and uneven patch, where the accident occurred yesterday, witnesses mishaps daily. The poor condition of the road can be gauged from the fact that a tractor’s axle broke down in the middle of the road. ArriveSAFE, an NGO which takes up road safety issues, today lodged a complaint with the Mohali SSP’s office, seeking an FIR against the NHAI and the contractor concerned. “The NHAI officials and the contractor responsible for the maintenance of the road Lack of lights, protruding iron bars pose danger to road users at underpass site WAKE-UP CALL FOR NHAI Look at the condition of the service lane. Such mishaps on this stretch will continue to take place till safety hazards are removed. It is high time the NHAI and the administration shed this apathy. — Jagbir Singh, RESIDENT Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa claimed that there had been 50 per cent increase in accidents in Dera Bassi area as the traffic had grown manifold on this road due to the diversions made in view of the blockade by the Haryana Government at the Shambhu barrier. should be booked under Section 198-A of the Motor Vehicle Act. Further, a survey should be conducted to ensure the construction zone is as per code IRC:SP:55-2014, guidelines on traffic management in work zones mandated by the Indian Road Congress, so that no such incident takes place in future,” stated the police complaint filed by Harman Singh Sidhu, president of ArriveSAFE. A resident of Maya Garden, Jagbir Singh, said, “Look at the condition of the service lane. Such mishaps on this stretch will continue to take place till safety hazards are removed. It is high time the NHAI and the administration shed this apathy.” Meanwhile, Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa met personnel of the Sadak Surakhya Force and enquired about their working. “The Zirakpur-Ambala road is a killer stretch. The SSF personnel have saved 200 lives on this stretch in just three months,” he said. Talking to mediapersons, Randhawa claimed that there had been a 50 per cent increase in accidents in Dera Bassi area as the traffic had increased on this road due to the diversions made in view of the blockade by the Haryana Government at the Shambhu barrier. ❝ ❞ MLA CITES SHAMBHU BARRIER BLOCKADE Himachal CM Sukhu campaigns for Tewari BJP eyes 60% vote share, 9% up from last poll Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 8 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Chandigarh Congress in-charge Rajeev Shukla today campaigned for party candidate Manish Tewari. Satyawan Gahlot, in charge of Chandigarh Youth Congress, accompanied them. The Chandigarh Youth Congress, under the leadership of its president Manoj Lubana, organised a “Yuva Sammelan” in support of Tewari. “The city Youth Congress stands resolute in its pledge to appoint 10 diligent workers for every booth across the city,” said Lubana. Addressing the gathering, CM Sukhu said, “Today, we stand united in our resolve to Manish Tewari flanked by senior leader Rajeev Shukla and HP CM Sukhu at the "Youth Sammelan" in Sector 27. TRIBUNE PHOTO uphold the principles of democracy and social justice. Together, we shall overcome any obstacle and pave the way for a brighter future of Chandigarh and its residents.” Shukla said, “The strength of our democracy lies in the active participation of every citizen. Through concerted efforts and unwavering determination, we shall triumph against any adversity.” Tewari dares Tandon to debate on nat’l security At another event, Tewari, reacting to a statement by BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon, dared him to a debate on national security. He also reiterated his offer for debate on any issue, including the national security. Responding to Tandon’s question on Tewari’s views on national security, the latter said, “I have written a book on national security, ‘10 Flash Points, 20 Years; National Security Situations that Impacted India’ and more than 1,000 articles on the subject,” He reiterated his challenge that he was welcome to debate the issue at the time and venue of his choosing, and it could be monitored by some security expert. He also trashed the claims of Tandon that the Congress would take away the right of reservation from the SCs, STs and BCs. c m y b Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 8 While the national BJP is striving for “400 paar”, the local party unit has set an ambitious target of getting 60 per cent vote share, which is 9 per cent up on its previous performance here. The BJP claims they have got surveys done in this regard, which have found they are reaching close to this target. Most of speeches of the party leaders, especially of party president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, mention or emphasise getting 60 per cent voting share in the city. The party has worked out its strategy around it. “We got 51 per cent vote share in the last election. During the past five years, we BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon during campaigning at the District Courts in Sector 43 on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI have delivered whether it was Covid or non-Covid period. So, based on our performance, we are confident to improve our margin by 9 per cent. Besides, our surveys in this regard are underway, which say we are going to reach near this target,” said Malhotra. “To achieve this goal, our 25,000 workers are working day and night at the booth level. We are also holding rallies and other public events to apprise residents about the works of the Centre,” added the BJP chief. In the last Lok Sabha election in the city, sitting MP Kirron Kher had retained the seat by getting 2,30,967 votes with a vote share of 51 per cent. While Bansal had got 1,84,218 votes, AAP candidate Harmohan Dhawan polled only 13,781 votes. Kher had improved her voting percentage from 42.20 in the 2014 election. The celebrity-turned-politician had secured 1,91,362 votes, while Bansal and AAP’s Gul Panag had got 1,21,720 and 1,08,362 votes, respectively. Meanwhile, city Congress president HS Lucky feels it will be the other way round this time. “Not the BJP but we , are going to win with 60 per cent vote share. The BJP is living in a fool’s paradise. We are aggressively holding our outreach programmes and getting a tremendous response from the public,” said Lucky.
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