07102024-CT-01.qxd 10/7/2024 12:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune FARMERS BLOCK ROAD OVER NON-LIFTING OF PADDY MOCK SECURITY DRILL HELD AT PUNJAB VIDHAN SABHA THE CONNECTING THREAD, THANKS TO SAMARJEET Protesting against non-lifting of paddy, farmers block Chd-Ambala National Highway near ITI Chowk, Lalru. P2 The National Security Guard and UT police conclude their annual crisis response exercise. P2 City designer is preserving traditional embroideries and integrating them into modern fashion narrative. P3 » » WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 and 45, and Maloya Mohali: Phase V Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF AMIT KUMAR IS NEW MC CHIEF Chandigarh: Amit Kumar, a 2008-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, will be the new Commissioner of the MC. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved intercadre deputation of Amit from the Punjab cadre to the AGMUT cadre for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. TNS ABU DHABI FLIGHT DIVERTED Mohali: The 3:30 am Abu Dhabi flight at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, had to be diverted to Delhi on Sunday due to unidentified reasons. In a bid to touch down here, the flight circled over Chandigarh skies for sometime but decided against landing here, possibly due to strong winds. The flight was diverted to Delhi. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh-Abu Dhabi flight departed as usual from the airport. TNS MINOR FIRE AT SEC 32 HOSPITAL Chandigarh: A minor fire incident occurred in the blood bank gallery of the GMCH, Sector 32, here on Sunday morning, leading to chaos. It was brought under control immediately due to the promptness of the security personnel present on the spot, thus averting a major incident. The fire broke out in a duct box. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. TNS PHONES STOLEN FROM HOUSE Chandigarh: Two mobile phones were stolen from a house in the Mani Majra area. Complainant Ravi Kumar reported that the theft occurred on the intervening night of October 4 and 5. A case has been registered at the IT Park police station. TNS TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Lowest 17.6% voting at Chandimandir Cantonment |Kalka poll %age revised to 72.1 PANCHKULA ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY Tribune News Service Panchkula, October 6 As many as 17 polling stations in the Panchkula constituency recorded more than 80% voter turnout and all of these were in villages. The constituency recorded 59.4% turnout, almost similar to 60.06% that was recorded in 2019. While residents of Asrewali village took the lead and ensured maximum at 94.3% polling, Chandimandir Cantonment recorded the lowest at mere 17.6%. As many as 1,40,227 voters out of the total 2,36,193 electors cast their vote at 230 polling stations in the Panchkula segment. Asrewali, Jaswantgarh, Toka, Shyamtu and Rattewali (west) villages recorded the highest participation. Out of 439 electors in Asrewali, 414 exercised their right to franchise. Similarly, 92.5% voters (445 out of the total 481) of Jaswantgarh cast their vote, followed by Toka where 373 out of the total 409 voters showed up at polling station. Shyamtu and Rattewali vil- A box of postal ballots being taken to the counting centre in Sector 1, Panchkula, on Sunday. VICKY lages recorded 88.1% and 87.6% turnout, respectively. On the other hand, only 17.6% turnout was recorded at Chandimandir Cantonment station. Merely, 168 out of the total 955 voters of the area came out to cast their vote yesterday. The other areas that recorded the lowest turnout included Sector 14 (north side) with merely 30.9% polling, Sector 14 (east side) 36.5% and Sector 20 (west side) 37.5%. Local INLD leader Manoj Aggarwal said booth number 82 of Chandimandir Cantonment was set up for the first time. Only 100 men and 68 women from the area cast their vote. Smart parking: Civic body again extends last date for tender bids The voter turnout in the constituency has remained relatively the same since Panchkula was newly carvedout of Kalka Assembly segment. Till 2005 Assembly elections, Panchkula remained a part of Kalka segment. The segment had recorded 57.59% turnout in Continued on page 2 POLLING STATION Chandikotla (east side) Chaunki Asarewali Jaswantgarh Bunga Tibbi Rattewali (west side) Dabkori Shayamtu Sukhdarshanpur Toka Kami (east side) Khatauli (east side) Khatauli (west side) Dhandadu (east side) Dhandaru (west side) Kundi POLLING STATION Sector 20 (east side) booth 50 Sector 20 (west side) Sector 20 (east side) booth 56 Chandimandir Cantt Sector- 14 (east side) Sector-14 (west side) Sector-14 (north side) MAX 36°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 23.5°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.20 AM 17 polling stations in P’kula record above 80% turnout, all in villages Ravneet Singh MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET MONDAY 6 PM » MONDAY | 7 OCTOBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST ABOVE 80% TURNOUT 80.2 82.1 94.3 92.5 86.3 86.1 87.6 86.6 88.1 85.8 91.2 81.2 82.8 86.9 83.3 87.6 80.5 BELOW 40% VOTING 37.6 37.5 39.4 17.6 36.5 39.4 30.9 Human tooth spotted in food ordered online Tribune News Service Zirakpur, October 6 Cockroach, lizard, animal fat, pebble, plastic... the list of foreign objects finding their way into the food plate is long, but on Saturday night, it grew a little longer, and indigestible when a customer in Dhakoli complained of spotting two human teeth (molars) in his food ordered from an upscale restaurant in the main market. Manoj, a resident of Sushma flats, complained that he ordered food from a restaurant through Zomato on Saturday evening. While having food at home, his elder son complained of a foreign object in the food, but accidentally ingested it. Moments later, his wife was also shocked to see a human tooth in ‘raita’. Irate Manoj called up the restaurant and complained about a human tooth in ‘kadhai paneer’. He later reached the restaurant with the food plate and complained to the restaurant manager, who allegedly misbehaved with him. The manager, Manoj Rana, said, “A complaint has been received from a customer. Some foreign object was found in the food. We are checking it.” He alleged that the customer created ruckus in the restaurant in an inebriated state. Great fall Queries by firms force MC to push deadline to Nov 3 Chandigarh, October 6 The Municipal Corporation (MC) has again extended the deadline for the submission of bids for its much-awaited Smart Parking project. The extension comes after private firms raised numerous queries regarding the proposal, particularly about the GST payments and other operational concerns. Initially floated on August 1 this year, the tender deadline was first extended from August 23 to September 23, and now has been pushed further by another month to November 3. An MC official stated that several private firms showed interest in the parking proposal, but raised questions that needed clarification. Once the concerns were addressed, the process of finalising the bidder would be started, he added. The Smart Parking project, aimed at modernising Chandigarh’s PROJECT WAS PROPOSED IN AUG 2022 ■ The Smart Parking project, aimed at modernising 89 parking lots in the city, was initially proposed in August 2022. ■ Initially floated on August 1 this year, the tender deadline was first extended from August 23 to September 23, and now has been pushed further by another month to November 3. ■ The project envisions a FASTagenabled parking management system with a dedicated mobile app for booking slots, dynamic pricing, slot availability status, and a central control centre to monitor parking activities. 89 parking lots, was initially proposed in August 2022. Two years later, it remains stalled at the tendering stage. As per the proposal, the Smart Parking system will apply uniform rates across all parking facilities, regardless of vehicle registration. The first 20 minutes will be free for pick-anddrop services. However, after the first four hours, hourly rates will kick in to ensure efficient use of parking spaces. Current charges remain unchanged at Rs 7 for two-wheelers and Rs 14 for four-wheelers for the initial four hours. To promote the use of underground parking, the MC will charge Rs 5 less for underground parking compared to surface parking. In a bid to encourage digital payments, a Rs 5 surcharge will be applied for cash payments. Monthly parking passes will also be introduced, with prices set at Rs 300 for underground parking and Rs 400 for surface parking. Since January 2023, after the contracts with the previous parking management firms expired, the MC has been managing the parking lots on its own. — TNS A 181-ft effigy of Ravana that fell due to heavy winds in Sector 5, Panchkula, on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY Mohali resident held for beating up 5-year-old boy Tribune News Service Mohali, October 6 The police have arrested a Phase 3-A resident after a video of him thrashing a fiveyear-old boy in the neighbourhood came to light. The incident occurred on August 29, but a complaint was received on September 29 after which a case was registered, they said. The accused, identified as Jahansher Singh, a senior citizen, had been arrested, said Mataur SHO Aman Trikha. The SHO said, “The vic- tim, along with another child, was returning home from tuition when the suspect thrashed him. A case was registered on the statement of the victim’s father. The incident has been recorded in the CCTV camera of a house.” The police said the suspect thrashed the child repeatedly and trampled on his chest as he thought that the child was mocking him by mimicking like a dog. The victim’s mother works in the house of the suspect’s neighbour as a domestic help. 1,654 awarded degrees at colourful, ethnic PGI convocation Specially abled Delhi Chandigarh, October 6 As many as 107 exceptional students were honoured with medals for their academic brilliance, while 1,547 graduates received their degrees at the 38th convocation of the PGIMER here this morning. The grand event was also important for it marked the celebration in ethnic wear. The postgraduate and graduate students, faculty members and organising committee, all were dressed in uniform dress code — golden attire. While male students received degrees in golden kurtas, the other gender, much higher in numbers, were draping golden sarees with matching jhumkas and other acces- Young degree holders in an ethnic attire during the PGIMER convocation on Sunday. PRADEEP TEWARI sories. Ditching the black robe, it indeed was reflection of India’s colourful culture. Faculty members and students donned traditional attire, complemented by a customised stole bearing the PGIMER logo. Instead of cap-toss or cap-throwing ceremony, everyone was cheer- ing by raising one hand while holding a degree in another for group pictures. One of the students, Bisma Hasan, a nursing graduate, c m y b beautifully reflected the religious harmony as she wore a saree while covering her head with hijab. She hails from Pulwama, J&K. While Vinod K Paul, member, NITI Ayog, was the chief guest at the event, Padma Shri Prof Jagat Ram, former director, PGIMER, was the guest of honour. Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, Prof RK Ratho, Dean (Academics), and Prof Ashutosh N Aggarwal, professor incharge (Academics) were among those present on the dais. In his address to the packed hall of Bhargava Auditorium, Prof Paul said, “The PGIMER has a special place in my heart. As a student at DAV College, I would walk from my hostel in Sector 15 to the college in Sector 10, passing by the PGIMER and seeing doctors going in and coming out of this esteemed institution. I often wondered if I would ever have the privilege of being associated with such a prestigious place.” Earlier, Prof Vivek Lal highlighted the institute’s achievements and trajectory of excellence calling the PGIMER not just a medical institute but Nalanda and Takshashila of the modern era. The well-attended ceremony featured invited dignitaries, professor emeritus, exdirectors, resident doctors and their families, key functionaries, heads of departments, and senior faculty. — TNS girl among graduates Chandigarh, October 6 A specially abled student, Kumari Sarita, who was among those awarded degrees at the PGIMER convocation, called the institute the best thing that happened to her in her career. She completed her BSc (medical lab technology) from the PGIMER in 2021. Sarita, who is currently working in Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi, said, “There’s no shortage of work once you graduate and work in a hospital like the PGIMER. In this institute, I never felt like I have special needs to access knowledge and experience. I am originally from Delhi and I never let distance become an issue to come and study in Chandigarh.” Kumari Sarita hopes to return to the campus and relive her student life as she plans to pursue MSC (MLT) from the institute. — TNS