11112024-CT-01.qxd 11/11/2024 12:13 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune PECFEST ENDS WITH DISPLAY OF CULTURE, CREATIVITY STRAWBERRY FIELDS WIN SOCCER, BASKETBALL TITLES BADSHAH HINTS AT TIE-UP WITH AFRICAN MUSICIAN The final day of event at Punjab Engineering College was celebration of cultural and creative energy. P3 Sector 26 school bag 2 gold medals in the Strawberry Fields Football and Basketball Tournaments 2024. P3 Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido has given hits such as Fall, Tchelete and 1 Milli, to name a few. P4 » » MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 28°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 29.6°C | MIN 17.6°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.29 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.44 AM » MONDAY | 11 NOVEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST TWITTER/THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Dengue tightens grip in city, experts City resident loses ~16L to cyber fraud cite high day temperature, humidity Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH 65-70 people undergo test at major hospitals every day, demand for platelets up Sheetal Tribune News Service National Classical Dance Festival: Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, from November 11 to 13, 6.30 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43, 45 and Maloya Mohali: Phase V Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF MAN STABBED IN SECTOR 56 Chandigarh: A man was stabbed by a few assailants in Sector 56. Sandeep alleged that he was attacked by Prithvi and his accomplices. The police have registered a case and started investigation. TNS VEHICLES SET ON FIRE, ONE HELD Chandigarh: The police have arrested a person for setting three vehicles on fire at Attawa village in Sector 42 on Friday night. A case was registered at the Sector 36 police station on a complaint filed by ASI Bhopal Singh. During investigation, suspect Kamal was arrested. He was later released on bail. TNS 13 ARRESTED FOR BEGGING Chandigarh: The police have arrested thirteen persons who were found begging in parts of the city. The police said these people were detained in a coordinated effort to address the issue of begging at public places. TNS 4 DRUG PEDDLERS LAND IN POLICE NET Chandigarh: Four drug peddlers have been arrested by the UT police across the city. A team of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) nabbed Vikram, Sahil and Mohit, alias Golu, all residents of Hisar district, with 1 kg charas. Another drug peddler, Deep, alias Dippu, was arrested from Sector 38 with 7.08 gram of heroin. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered. TNS Chandigarh, November 10 Cases of dengue are on the rise in the city. Around 245 cases have been recorded by the Health Department to date this season. The Director, Health Services, Dr Suman Singh, explained how the symptoms of viral fever and dengue are similar as patients’ platelet count drops in both cases. She said, “Around 65-70 people are being sampled every day in Chandigarh. Not all are positive with dengue, some also have viral fever.” The demand for platelets has increased alarmingly. “We have formed groups of regular blood donors and engaged with them to get all help. The demand has increased but there’s no shortage. We have regular donors from the Police Department. Around 20 voluntary donors help us keep things under control every day,” she added. At the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, 3,189 people had been tested for dengue from October 16 to November 8. Of them, 1,126 were found positive. Earlier, of 5,604 persons tested from September 1 to October 15, 1,108 tested positive. While the cases touched the 1,100-mark in 45 days in the previous months, the figure was breached in just 25 days of October and November. This is just the GMCH-32 Patients, mostly those suffering from dengue, at Emergency Ward of Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32. SHEETAL THREE PLATELET MACHINES AT GMSH-16 FREE TESTING FACILITY The blood bank at the GMSH-16 has three machines, which separate blood into various components such as plasma, platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. Donor lists are maintained and NGOs as well as police personnel are always on back-up for blood donation in case of a crisis. Dengue wards have been set up in major hospitals of the city. Two tests, NS1 and IgM ELISA, for dengue are done free of cost at the GMSH-16, GMCH-32 and PGI. Free testing for malaria is also available at all malaria units in AAM (Ayushman Arogya Mandir), Civil Hospital and GMSH-16. People can file complaints regarding spray, fogging and other related issues at dengue helpline (7626002036). record. Then there are free testing centres at the GMSH, Sector 16, and the PGI. Many people get themselves tested at private laboratories and hospitals. People from other states also visit these major hospitals of the city. Members in almost every household have suffered from dengue. Archit, who hails from Zirakpur, had to undergo platelet transfusion because he was to get married next day. His platelet count had gone below 30,000 due to dengue. October and November are the last of the months when aedes aegypti mosquito continues to exist. This denguecausing mosquito thrives in humidity and high temperature. Dr Varsha Gupta, Head of Microbiology Department, GMCH-32, said, “While we witness a rise in the number of positive dengue cases, it should also be taken into account that the period when these mosquitoes are active has considerably shifted. Earlier, the cases of dengue used to appear as soon as in July. With changing climatic conditions, longer summers and delayed monsoon this year, the first of the cases of the dengue season were reported at the end of August. The cases peaked in the end of October. The number will continue to rise as we approach mid-November. But with a drop of 5-10 degrees in the daytime temperature in coming weeks, the number of positive cases will also decrease.” Dr Suman Singh said, “There is a need to be more cautious till next week. There has been a slight decrease in the day temperature in the past two days. As soon as the day temperature decreases or it rains, the day will also become cooler. Along with this, the risk of dengue will also decrease.” She has also issued an advisory urging residents to observe every Saturday as “Dry Day” to help mitigate the spread of dengue. On that day, families, societies and institutions can find time to clean and dry all water containers. Chandigarh, November 10 A city resident has been duped of Rs 16 lakh by a fraudster posing as his friend’s son. Harcharan Singh Sandhu reported that a person contacted him through WhatsApp and introduced himself as Shiva, his friend’s son. The fraudster requested for financial assistance. The police said the fraudster told the complainant that he needed money. “He convinced Sandhu to not reveal the matter to anyone,” the police Gang steals purse with ~7L jewellery, cash from car Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 10 The “Thak thak” gang, which had stolen bags from cars, has resurfaced in the city. In a recent incident, its members deceived a resident of Mohali and made off with a purse containing jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh, Rs 30,000 in cash and an iPhone. The empty purse and phone were found discarded near Dadu Majra. The victim, Priya, visited the furniture market in Sector 53 and left her purse in the car. As she was about to leave, a man approached her, claiming that oil was leaking from the engine. Priya got off the vehicle and noticed oil marks near the bonnet. Flat owner pulls out sword in clash with delivery boys at Mohali society Power staff to intensify stir against privatisation Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 10 After the Punjab and Haryana High Court paved the way for privatisation of the UT Electricity Department, the UT Powermen Union has prepared an outline of its struggle against the administration for not paying heed to their suggestions. In the first phase of the agitation, rallies and demonstrations will be held in all offices from November 11. A meeting will be held soon and a massive dharna will be staged by the staff, the date of which will be announced in a day or two. The employees of various departments, engineers of neighbouring states and representatives of Mohali, November 10 High drama was witnessed at Acme Heights-1, a housing society in Sector 126, today when a delivery boy and a flat owner picked up a fight over the repeated nondelivery of courier packages. Local residents said after heated arguments between delivery boy Malwinder Singh and flat owner Sarabjit Singh, the former called his colleagues to the spot. When his colleagues reached there, Sarabjit allegedly attacked them with a sword, injuring a couple of them. Sarabjit claimed that Malwinder and his friends tossed his turban and dragged him by his hair. Non-delivery of courier packages turns into major clash People gather at Acme Heights-1 in Sector 126 where the clash took place. The local residents said the delivery boy was upset with the flat owner as he used to unbox the couriers and return it to him. Malwinder had refused to deliver couriers at Sarabjit’s house, which angered him. Today, Malwinder had come to deliver a courier in the society when the fight broke out. It soon turned into a group clash, as the residents of the society also entered the fight. The delivery boys gathered outside the gate of the society and blocked the main entrance. The police received a complaint and started investigation. They are scanning CCTV footage. Tribune News Service added. The fraudster gave multiple bank accounts to Sandhu and asked him to transfer money in each of those. Sandhu fell in the fraudster’s trap and transferred a total of Rs 16.01 lakh through 12 transactions, only to realise later that he had been duped. The police have registered a case at the cybercrime police station. different institutions and organizations will also participate in it. The same day, electricity employees and engineers of the whole country will also protest in their respective states, about which the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers has taken a decision. Union president Dhyan Singh and other officebearers alleged that the administration was repeating the mistake of starting the bidding process in 2020. It had started the process of LOE even before making a transfer policy before bidding, taking objections from the employees and making a unanimous multilateral agreement. While Priya was checking for a leak, a gang member opened the door and stole the bag containing the valuables. When she realised that her purse was missing, she informed the police. The police scanned the footage of a CCTV camera installed at a nearby furniture store and found three persons perpetrated the theft. The footage shows a youth picking the purse from the car and walking towards the Sector 41/42 road. The police traced the phone to a location near the Dadu Majra dump. They also found the discarded purse there. They said the matter was under investigation and efforts were being made to identify the thieves. SHAHABAD MISHAP Professor’s wife dies at PGI Chandigarh, November 10 The wife of Prof Sandeep Naseer, who died last week after the car his family was travelling in caught fire due to sparking at Shahabad, succumbed to injuries at the PGI today. In the accident, Naseer and his two minor girls had died, while his wife Lakshmi was admitted to the PGI. Naseer and his two minor daughters, Prapti and Amanat, who were students of Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, were cremated last week. The injured, Lakshmi, Aarti and Sudesh, were referred to the PGI. Sources had claimed the victims were on their way from Sonepat to Chandigarh after Diwali when a fire broke out in the car near Mohri in Shahabad. — TNS Women must enter armed forces, only pace of change is debatable: Army Commander Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 10 All three services of the Indian Armed Forces are taking positive steps in the direction of opening up the services for women and concerted efforts are being made to induct them not just in the officer cadre but also in the rank and file, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, said today. Speaking on the concluding day of Abhivyakti- 2024, a three-day literary festival organised by the Army Wives Welfare Association at Chandimandir, in response to comments that women in the armed forces should be given equal opportunities, including entry into combat arms like the Infantry and Armoured Corps, Lt Gen Katiyar said the only question now was whether the pace of the progress was fast enough. “A lot of people may not be happy with the pace, but let me assure you that definite progress is being made and any step that is taken in haste may be counter-productive at a later stage,” he said. The pace of progress may be debatable but a far as national interest security is concerned there are “cool heads” and “very knowledgeable people” who are taking decisions, he added. The Army opened its doors to women officers in 1992, allowing them short service commission in non-combat arms and services. The first batch of 25 women officers was commissioned in 1993. In 2015, a Supreme Court verdict introduced permanent commission for women officers. In 2019, the Army approved an annual recruitment of 100 women into its rank and file. Last year, the first batch of women soldiers was recruited under the Agnipath scheme and at present are allowed only in the Corps of Military Police. In an earlier session during the literary festival, former ambassador to the US and Israel Navtej Sarna shared his thoughts on different dimensions of creative writing with reference to his own historical works, especially c m y b those relating to Jallianwala Bagh and the unfortunate life of Duleep Singh. Sarna said he visited every city to which Duleep Singh had travelled when he was researching the book, including London, Paris and Russia, so as to get a first-hand feel of the historical narrative that he was going to pen down. In her concluding address, Jyoti Malhotra, Editor-inChief of The Tribune, urged participants to develop the element of curiosity in themselves so that they are able to do things differently. Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, GOC-in-Chief, Western Command, speaks during Abhivyakti, a literary festival, organised by the Army Wives Welfare Association at Chandimandir on Sunday. NITIN MITTAL