02012025-CT-01.qxd 1/2/2025 12:39 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune PROMISES OF SANKALP PATRA BEING FULFILLED: CM RESIDENTS PARTAKE OF LANGAR ON ROADSIDE SALMAN KHAN’S SIKANDAR AMONG TOP PICKS OF 2025 Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, wife Suman Saini offer prayers at the Mata Mansa Devi Temple. P2 Devotees throng gurdwaras and temples in Mohali, 13 newborns ring in New Year at Civil Hospital. P2 The film landscape for 2025 is loaded with diverse content but expectations are high from Salman’s Sikandar. P4 » » PARTLY CLOUDY SKY MAX 11°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 11.3°C | MIN 8.7°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.33 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7.18 AM » THURSDAY | 2 JANUARY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE A pious start From left: Devotees offer prayers at Mansa Devi Temple, Nada Sahib Gurdwara in Panchkula and the church at Sector 18 in Chandigarh to mark New Year’s Day on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: RAVI KUMAR & PRADEEP TEWARI New Year revelry largely peaceful: Cops WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Bollywood Musical Night: Bollywood singer and composer Shreyas Puranik to perform at Hotel Mountview, Sector 10, January 3, 7pm. Passes available online at bookmyshow and reception of Hotel Mountview, Hotel Shivalikview and Hotel Parkview. 75 cases of drunken driving reported in city as compared to 96 last time 600 traffic slips Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 On the New Year’s Eve, the UT police dealt with 41 incidents of quarrel, less than the last time’s count of 54. The traffic police laid nakas at various strategic locations and 75 people were issued challans for drunken driving. The number was less than the last year when 96 challans were issued for the same. The police also impounded 18 vehicles. Nine nakas were laid in the city to check drunken driving. The overall spots attended by the Chandigarh police, too, were less com- APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34 and 56, and Ram Darbar Panchkula: Sector 5 Mohali: Sector 76 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF PHONE, PURSE SNATCHED Chandigarh: Five miscreants snatched a mobile phone and a purse from a Sector 40 resident. Complainant Gunj Bahadur reported that the suspects snatched his belongings near Sectors 39/40 light point. The police were informed about the incident following which a case was registered at the Sector 39 police station. Quarrel Accident Causing nuisance Fire incident Bursting of crackers Other spots Total 2024 2023 41 55 20 14 9 11 3 3 2 5 44 107 119 195 << The police at a drunken driving naka in Chandigarh. RAVI KUMAR pared to the last time. The police said the celebrations concluded peacefully without any unto- ward incident. “Elaborate security arrangements were made due to which fewer brawls were report- ed,” said an official. Close to 1,450 security personnel were deployed in the city to keep a check on hooli- ganism, besides 44 internal nakas and 18 outer nakas were set up to keep vigil. As many as 403 calls were received at the Police Control Room between 8 pm last evening and 8 am today, of which PCR vehicles were dispatched to 172 spots. The police said the PCR also attended nine spots following complaints of nuisance. Two calls complaining of bursting of crackers were received. Meanwhile, three fire incidents and 44 miscellaneous spots were also attended by PCR teams. Besides, 20 road accidents were also reported from different parts of the city. issued in Mohali Mohali, January 1 A total of 606 traffic slips were issued for various offences, including 38 for drunken driving, and 20 vehicles were impounded by the police during the New Year celebrations in Mohali. Around 1,000 police personnel, led by Ropar Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek, manned more than 50 special pickets to maintain law and order in the city. The cops said a massive drive was carried out till 3am on January 1 to check any untoward incident in the city. continued on p2 Panchkula, January 1 Aided by extensive security arrangements, the New Year celebrations in Panchkula concluded peacefully. The police had set up eight checkpoints to monitor drunken driving, during which 14 challans were issued and one vehicle was impounded. Around 300 motorists were checked at these nakas. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Himadri Kaushik stated that robust security measures were implemented, with around 300 police personnel deployed and advanced security equipment put in place. Women police officers were stationed at key locations to continued on p2 UT sees 20% decline in December GST collection HCsendsjuvenilecase Tribune News Service Painting Workshop: North Zone Culture Centre (NZCC) 12-day Miniature Painting Camp at Kalagram, Sector 13, on till January 12, from 9:30am to 6pm. Musical Programme: Singer Sunil Dogra at Rani Laxmi Bai Bhawan, Sector 38, on January 5, 6pm. COMPLAINTS TAKEN UP BY PCR 14 challaned for drunken driving in Panchkula Chandigarh, January 1 The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the city in December witnessed a decline of 20% compared to the gross levy collected during the corresponding period in 2023. According to the Ministry of Finance, the collection for December last year stood at Rs 224 crore, which was Rs 57 crore less than Rs 281 crore mopped-up in the same month in 2023. According to officials, the month-on- month GST collection in the city was down by 20%, but it was up by 15% on the yearon-year basis. However, the city saw a growth of 20% in GST in November 2024, as against the revenue collected during the corresponding period in 2023. In November, the gross collection stood at Rs 253 crore, Rs 43 crore more than Rs 210 crore generated during the same month in 2023. In October, the city saw an increase of 16% against the gross levy collected during Mops up ~224 cr as against ~281 cr collected in December 2023 the corresponding period in 2023. The collection for October stood at Rs 243 crore, Rs 33 crore more than Rs 210 crore collected during the same month in 2023. On the other hand, the collection for September stood at Rs 197 crore, Rs 22 crore less than Rs 219 crore mopped-up during the same month in 2023. There was a decline of 10% in GST collection during the month. In August, the city saw an increase of 27% against the gross levy collected during the corresponding period in 2023. The collection for August stood at Rs 244 crore, Rs 52 crore more than Rs 192 crore collected during the same month in 2023. In July, the city witnessed an increase of 8% against the gross levy collected during the corresponding period in 2023. The collection for July stood at Rs 233 crore, Rs 16 crore more than Rs 217 crore mopped-up in the same month in 2023. The ministry did not share details of the tax collected during the month of June and January last year. The UT Administration had announced a GST collection of Rs 178 crore for May, marking a 6% increase from the previous year, i.e. up from Rs 168 crore to Rs 178 crore after settlement of IGST. The rise in collections was attributed continued on p2 Door-to-door waste collectors resume work Looking forward: PGI to get extra security cover, round-the-clock diagnostic services Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 The door-to-door waste collectors have joined their routine work after a meeting with the authorities of the Municipal Corporation. In the meeting, they requested the authorities to take a decision on their main demand of remuneration on DC rates for waste collectors working in commercial areas of the city. As per the discussions, the MC authorities assured them of accepting their genuine demands after re-assessment of the commercial sites as to how many units were being covered by an individual waste collector and how much time it required to complete the same work. Besides, the door-to-door waste collectors continued on p2 Chandigarh, January 1 In a significant stride towards bolstering security and enhancing healthcare services, the PGIMER has secured key approvals from the Standing Finance Committee during a meeting held recently. The approval to hire an additional 300 security personnel, specifically ex-servicemen, is intended to complement the existing workforce. The move is crucial for ahead of the commissioning of the Neuro Science Centre and the Mother & Child Centre, set to open in March. By strengthening the current security infrastructure, the PGI aims to ensure a robust and responsive environment for all. The initiative, facilitated through the Director General A view of the Advanced Trauma Centre and Nehru Hospital of PGI. FILE of Resettlement, Ministry of Defence, aligns with the institute’s goal of maintaining a safe and secure environment for patients, staff and visitors. Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGI, while extending New Year wishes to all staff, patients and partners associated with the institute, stated, “As we usher in a New Year, these approvals mark a piv- c m y b otal step forward in enhancing our security and service capabilities at PGIMER.” Apart from enhancing security, there are other promising developments to elevate the standard of care and security for everyone associated with the PGI. The committee has, in principle, approved the proposal for round-theclock diagnostic services. This continuous availability of the services will alleviate the burden on patients, enabling them to receive care at their convenience rather than being restricted to standard operational hours. Additionally, the committee expressed its appreciation for Project Sarathi, a transformative initiative that fosters a culture of volunteerism and compassion within healthcare. Already rolled out in 700 hospitals across the nation, Project Sarathi is growing into a movement that aims to improve patient care through community involvement. The committee, during the meeting held on November 20, 2024, also acknowledged and appreciated PGIMER’s effort to document its rich history with the creation of a museum. for fresh assessment Says mental capacity to commit an offence doesn’t imply awareness of consequences Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that a child in conflict with the law having the mental capacity to commit an offence will not necessarily mean that he fully understands the consequences of his actions. The ruling came in a case where the Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Chandigarh, concluded that a child was mature enough to face trial for unnatural offence under Section 377 of the IPC as an adult before transferring his trial to children’s court having jurisdiction to try such matters. The decision was based on the assumption that the child possessed the mental capacity to commit the offence. Justice Kuldeep Tiwari took note of the fact that the child was booked in January last year under Section 377 and the provisions of the POCSO Act after a case was registered at Sector 49 police station following allegations of “anal sex” with the complainant’s son. Justice Tiwari asserted the board could not have disregarded findings in social investigation report explicitly stating that the child lacked awareness about the consequences of his actions. The report should, rather, QUOTES NIDA FAZLI Justice Kuldeep Tiwari quotes poet Nida Fazli to emphasise protection of children. “Jin Charaaghon Ko Hawaon Ka Koi Khauf Nahi Un Charaaghon Ko Hawaon Se Bachaya Jaye (Those lamps that are not fearful of strong winds, they must be protected from the winds. Let’s do that),” the court observes. have been given “equal importance” before deciding whether the child should be tried as an adult. Referring to a Supreme Court’s judgment, Justice Tiwari asserted mental capacity to commit an offence would not automatically imply an understanding of its consequences. The probation officer’s report, in the case before the court, clearly stated that the petitioner lacked the capacity to comprehend the repercussions of the alleged offence. As such, the board should have applied Section 18(1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which prioritised the child’s rehabilitation and reintegration into society. “At this stage, this court is reminded of a verse, befitting the case at hand, by a renowned poet Nida Fazli. ‘Jin Charaaghon Ko Hawaon Ka Koi Khauf Nahi Un Charaaghon Ko Hawaon Se continued on p2