20022025-CT-01.qxd 2/20/2025 12:12 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune INDIA-PAK CLASH: CRICKET FEVER GRIPS EATERIES CHESHIRE HOME RESIDENTS PROTEST AGAINST EVICTION PROGRESSIVE PLATTER: FUSION FOOD IS THE BUZZWORD Restaurant owners are pulling out all stops to draw cricket enthusiasts in for Champions Trophy match. P3 Members of the local wheelchair cricket team among those who staged sit-in at Sector 21 home. P3 Turning the desi dining experience on its head, niche restaurants & cafés are now offering progressive menu. P4 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Photography exhibition: ‘Sector-17 Beyond The Façade’, by Sanjay Kaushal and Shubh Mohan Singh, on till February 27, at underpass connecting Sector-17 with Rose Garden, 10 am to 8 pm. Sharul Channa Live in Chandigarh’: The Laugh Club, Sector 26, February 21 at 8 pm Chitkara Lit Fest: Chitkara International School, February 22 Free Yoga Demo Class: Alliance Francaise, Sector 36, February 20, from 9 am to 10 am Nrityaanjali: CSNA Classical Dance Festival, February 21 to 23, 6:30, Rani Laxmi Bai Bhawan Auditorium, Sector 38-C APNI MANDI Chd: Sec 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Panchkula: Sector 76 Mohali: Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com All projects to be transferred to respective departments of UT Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 19 After nearly nine years, the operations of the Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) will be closed down by March 20. The Board of Directors has decided to transfer all projects under the Smart Cities Mission to the respective departments before that date. Launched in 2015, the mission was aimed at introducing transformative urban governance reforms in 100 selected cities across India. Chandigarh was selected under the Fast Track Round in May 2016, leading to the establishment of the CSCL. The company was tasked with executing infrastructure improvements, urban mobility projects, sanitation initiatives and integrated digital solutions. According to officials, a total of Rs 853 crore has been spent on 36 projects, while Rs 53 crore is still pending for operational expenditures. Major investments under the mission include Rs 304 crore for setting up sewage treatment plants and Rs 334 crore for Integrated Command and Control Centre is a key smart project. NO ALLOCATION FOR SMART CITIES IN UNION BUDGET ■ While the Smart Cities Mission was initially set to conclude on June 30, 2024, the Government of India extended it until March 31, 2025. No budgetary allocation for the mission was made in the Union Budget 2025-26, presented on February 1. ~853 CRORE SPENT ON 36 PROJECTS IN CITY ■ According to officials, a total of Rs 853 crore has been spent on 36 projects, while Rs 53 crore is still pending for operational expenditures. Major investments under the mission include Rs 304 crore for setting up sewage treatment plants and Rs 334 crore for constructing an Integrated Command and Control Centre. constructing an Integrated Command and Control Centre. The remaining funds were allocated to ancillary projects aimed at enhancing urban infrastructure. While the Smart Cities Mission was initially set to conclude on June 30, 2024, the Government of India extended it until March 31, 2025. However, no budgetary allocation for the mission was made in the Union Budget 2025-26, presented on February 1. The CSCL board has also directed officials to complete the animal carcass incineration plant by the end of February. c m y b The project, once operational, will be handed over to the Municipal Corporation before the mission’s closure. At present, over 150 animal carcasses are buried each month across the city. The new facility will ensure their scientific disposal in compliance with Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) guidelines. The project faced a significant opposition from residents at proposed sites in Sector 25, Sector 38, Dadu Majra and Industrial Area, Phase 1, leading to multiple relocations before the final site was approved at Raipur Kalan. The execution and maintenance of these projects will now rest with the respective departments, marking the end of Chandigarh’s dedicated smart city implementation agency. The key projects developed under the Smart City Mission include upgrading of sewage treatment plants (STPs), 24X7 water supply, implementation of Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Sector 17 and rejuvenation of Sector 17. FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Punjab IG’s son among suspects FIRING AT SEC 10 CAFE Chandigarh, February 19 The UT police have issued a lookout circular against the suspects, including a Punjab police IG’s son, who have been accused of opening fire at a café in Sector 10 here on February 16. Sources said the gunshot was fired from the service weapon of a policeman accompanying the suspects. A police official said they had identified two suspects who were accompanied by security personnel. Testing times MAX 21°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.3°C | MIN 10.9°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 6.58 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Smart City firm set to shut operations by March 20 GENERALLY CLOUDY SUNSET THURSDAY 6.14 PM » THURSDAY | 20 FEBRUARY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST The police had registered a case against unidentified persons at the Sector 3 police station on a complainant filed by Balbir Ram, the head chef of the cafe. He had reported that four persons arrived at the cafe, sat at a table on the terrace and ordered food. Later, two more persons, accompanied by a security guard, joined them. Shortly after, he heard a loud noise from the terrace. The cafe staff scrutinised the CCTV footage and found that one of the persons at the table had fired into the air. — TNS 2 cops sacked in Mohali dist Mohali, February 19 Among 52 police officials dismissed for corruption in Punjab today, two are from Mohali. Senior constable Dalbir Singh and constable Guriqbal Singh have been sacked in a 2022 corruption case. The police had seized 5 gm heroin and ill-gotten money totalling Rs 19,000 from them. Constable Ravinder Singh of Rupnagar was dismissed for remaining absent for a long time without permission. Officials said he had gone out of the country without permission. — TNS TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY Students come out of a centre after taking Class VIII English paper of PSEB in Mohali.