12022025-CT-01.qxd 2/11/2025 11:56 PM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MAN, SON ARRESTED FOR IMMIGRATION FRAUD NATIONAL GAMES: MOHALI’S NIHARIKA WINS GOLD MEDAL ARATI KADAV'S MRS STRIKES A CHORD WITH AUDIENCE The two have duped a number of villagers by making false promises of sending them to Canada. P2 Niharika records 13.37m in long jump event of the ongoing 38th National Games to take gold for Punjab. P3 With her latest movie, the engineerturned-filmmaker has exposed deeply rooted patriarchal value system. P4 » » CHANDIGARH Silk n Wool Expo: Kisan Bhawan, Sector 35, from February 12 to 18 Kullu Fest: A tribute to Indian handlooms, Lajpat Rai Bhawan, Sector 15-B Exhibition of works: By architect SD Sharma, on till February 15 at Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10 APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 Panchkula: Sector 25 Mohali: Phase 11 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com UT declares holiday today Chandigarh: On account of Guru Ravi Dass Jayanti, the UT Administration has declared a public holiday in the city on Wednesday (February 12). Earlier, a restricted holiday was declared, but now a public holiday will be observed in all government offices, boards, corporations and institutions, including industrial establishments, under the UT Administration.— TNS Two youths die of ‘overdose’ in Banur Mohali, February 11 Two youths have died allegedly due to drug overdose in Banur in the past 48 hours. A youth was found dead in the Nangal Salempur area of Banur yesterday, while the body of the other youth was found in Ward No. 1, evoking concerns among local residents. A number of residents gathered at the Mata Mandir Dharamshala to deliberate on the drugs menace. Sandeep Singh was the only son in the family and had one daughter. His family members complained that he died of drug overdose. — TNS Man arrested for stealing temple cashbox Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 11 The police have arrested a 31year-old for allegedly stealing the cashbox from Sri Jagannath Mandir, Sector 31. The accused in the incident, which took on February 7, has been identified as Ankur, a resident of Phase-1, Ramdarbar. The theft case had been registered on the complaint of Santosh Panda at the Sector 31 police station. MAX 26°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.9°C | MIN 9.5°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 7.05 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Will complete shorter route to airport by Dec: Punjab FILE PHOTO WHAT’S ON MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.08 PM » WEDNESDAY | 12 FEBRUARY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 11 The Punjab Government has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that an 8.5 km alternative road to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport is under construction and will be completed by December. The submission came during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest on infrastructure and accessibility issues related to the airport. Appearing before the Division Bench of Justice Arun Palli and Justice Sudeepti Sharma, Punjab Additional Advocate-General Shekhar Verma submitted that the proposed 50-metre-wide road was currently being laid at the site in accordance with the plan. The information was furnished in response to court query “as to what is the progress with regard to the alternative road to the airport that had been suggested long ago”. According to information, the shorter route is expected to pass through Sector 65-66 junction (near Bawa White House) and continue towards Sector 66-B. At present, the PR-7 road remains the sole access point for traffic from Punjab and 8.5 KM ROAD TO PASS THROUGH SEC 65-66 JUNCTION The 8.5 km alternative road to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport is expected to pass through the Sector 65-66 junction (near Bawa White House) and continue towards Sector 66-B. At present, the PR-7 road remains the sole access point for traffic from Punjab and Haryana to reach the international airport in Mohali. Haryana to reach the international airport in Mohali. The Bench, during the course of hearing, was also told that a separate 18-footwide link road from Jagatpura village was being strengthened and 90 per cent of the work was already complete. The state government also sought time to file a specific affidavit detailing the progress of the project. Taking note of the submission, the High Court adjourned the matter to February 19. The court query and directions follow a long-standing public interest litigation (PIL) initiated in 2015 by the Mohali Industries Association, pushing for improved international services and facilities at the international airport. The Bench is being assisted in the matter by senior advocate ML Sarin as amicus curiae or the friend of the court. Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain and Cycle track to come up along mango belt Mohali youth stuck in Mexico, claims family Tribune News Service senior government counsel Arun Gosain are appearing on behalf of the Centre, while senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji is appearing with Additional standing counsel Jaivir Singh Chandail for UT. The petitioners have all along been arguing that the lack of expanded connectivity has resulted in a substantial revenue loss and hindered regional business growth across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. They have been seeking adequate infrastructure to transform the airport into a true international hub, matching the region’s economic needs and potential for foreign investment. The High Court, at one point of time, was told that the Chandigarh Administration had proposed two alternative routes for the airport. Appearing before the Bench, senior counsel Chetan Mittal on the airport’s behalf had pointed out that the proposed alternative routes would virtually reduce more than 7 km distance compared to the existing route from Chandigarh side. He had also told the Bench that one of the proposals was principally agreed upon after deliberations with all stakeholders. The 24-hour water supply control centre in Mani Majra. FILE PHOTO Govt misled Parl on 24x7 water supply project: MP Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 11 Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has accused the Central Government of misleading Parliament by claiming that no loan was taken for the 24x7 water supply project in Mani Majra. Raising a question on the erratic and muddy water supply in Mani Majra even six months after the project was inaugurated, in the Lok Sabha today, Tewari asked the Home Minister about the current status of the project, which was inaugurated by Amit Shah in August 2024 He also sought to know whether the project is still in the trial phase, and if so, the what are the reasons for the delay in achieving the goal of round-the-clock water supply in the area, and what measures are being undertaken to address issues such as the irregular supply of undrinkable and muddy water as reported in the area. He further asked the minister about the details of the loan taken for the 24×7 water supply project, including its repayment structure, interest rates and the financial liability it imposes on the residents of Chandigarh. In response to the questions, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, stated that the 24x7 water supply project in Mani Majra was commissioned in August 2024 under Smart Cities Mission and the physical infrastructure and trial run of the project has been completed. “Under the project, to cater to the grievances, a Consumer Grievance Cell and helpline number has been established. Since the project is funded under Smart Cities fund, no loan has been taken,” he stated. “What is very disturbing is that the government has misled Parliament by stating that no loan was taken for the 24X7 water supply project continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 11 To encourage eco-friendly commuting, the UT Administration is laying more cycle tracks in the city. Officials from various departments, under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, today assessed the progress of the new cycle track projects and address encroachment issues along such paths. The team visited “Mango Garden” on the Sector 28-Tribune Chowk road, and Hallo Majra. At the Mango Garden site, temporary markings were made on the road for the proposed cycle track. At Hallo Majra, the team visited the encroachment-prone Hallo Majra-Zirakpur barrier road and vice versa. They iden- Temporary markings drawn for proposed track tified areas where encroachments need to be cleared to facilitate the construction of the cycle tracks. The DC said the Administration was committed to promoting sustainable transportation solutions while maintaining the city’s aesthetic and urban planning standards. The departments involved, including those responsible for urban planning, traffic management and law enforcement, are working together to ensure a seamless and efficient implementation of the cycle track project. The project is part of Chandigarh’s broader effort to encourage eco-friendly commuting and improve the overall infrastructure for residents. Mohali, February 11 The police have booked three persons on the charge of duping a Phase 11 resident, Manav, on the pretext of sending him to the US on work visa. His family has alleged that the youth is stuck in Mexico. The police have booked Kansal resident Rinku, Gurjinder Singh of Ambala and Mukul of Kurukshetra. In a complaint to the police, Mamta Rani has stated that she became acquaintance to Rinku through her friend. In February last year, she discussed with Rinku the travel plan of Manav to the US. He introduced her to his relative Gurjinder Singh, after which she gave “two passports and Rs 3 lakh to Gurjinder for continued on page 2 Folk magic TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Artistes perform “poothan thiraa”, a folk dance of Kerala, during a tourism partnership meet in Chandigarh. Clear legacy waste by March 31: Secretary First time in 3 years, Mayor forms all 12 committees Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 11 Home Secretary-cum-Secretary Local Government Mandip Singh Brar today visited the dumping ground and legacy mining site at Dadu Majra to take stock of wastemanagement project. He was accompanied by Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Amit Kumar, Chief Engineer Sanjay Arora and other senior officers of the MC. Brar assessed the current status of the waste management and bio-mining project. The visit was aimed at reviewing ongoing waste disposal processes and exploring more technologies to enhance the capacity of the site. During the visit, the MC Commissioner briefed the Secretary on the present condition of the dump site. The Tribune News Service Mandip Singh Brar, Home Secretary-cum-Secretary of Local Government (centre), takes stock of waste management project at Dadu Majra on Tuesday. Commissioner elaborated on the segregation process of wet and dry waste, explaining how different types of waste were handled to minimise the hazardous impact to preserve environment. He apprised the Secretary that special attention was being given to horticulture waste c m y b management. The Commissioner also highlighted the ongoing efforts to ensure daily waste processing at the continued on page 2 Chandigarh, February 11 After nearly three years, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla today constituted three statutory committees and nine sub-committees of the Municipal Corporation (MC). It was the first time that all 12 committees have been constituted since the MC elections were held. The three statutory committees on roads, water supply and sewerage disposal, and house tax assessment have financial powers of Rs 25 lakh each, while the nine sub-committees can manage fiscal matters up to Rs 15 lakh each. The nine special sub-committees are on sanitation, environment and city beautification, electricity, fire and emergency BABLA, COUNCILLORS TO MEET GUV ON FEB 21 Reeling under a financial crisis, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, along with elected councillors and nominated ones, will meet Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on February 21 for an informal meeting. Various issues facing the civic body would be discussed with the Administrator, said the Mayor. After assuming charge, the Mayor had met the Administrator and requested him for a special grant of Rs 170 crore to tide over the financial crisis of the MC. services, Apni Mandi and day market, women empowerment, enforcement, slum colonies and village development, art & culture, and sports. The members of the road committee include Dalip Sharma, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, Sarbjit Kaur, Maheshinder Singh, Gurcharanjit Singh, Suman Devi, Manaur, Nirmla Devi and Naresh Panchal. The water supply and sewerage disposal committee comprises Sarbjit Kaur, Gurcharanjit Singh, Kanwarjeet Singh, Kuljeet Singh Sandhu, Saurabh Joshi, Prem Lata, Jasbir Singh, Darshana and Satinder Singh Sidhu. The house tax assessment committee has Ramneek Singh Bedi, Anup Gupta, Gurbax Rawat, Jasmanpreet Singh, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, Anju Katyal, Damanpreet Singh, Taruna Mehta and Amit Jindal.