21042025-CT-01.qxd 4/20/2025 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CONGRESS STAGES PROTEST AGAINST PROPERTY TAX HIKE ABHINAV REGISTERS EASY VICTORY IN TENNIS TOURNEY DON'T LIVE IN THE PAST, SAYS ACTOR EMRAAN HASHMI City Congress president HS Lucky said the UT Administration was bent on exploiting the public. P3 Beats Romair 6-1, 6-0 in the boys' U-18 final qualifying round on the second day of CLTA-AITA meet. P3 Actor believes key to staying relevant in cinema is to learn from youth, how they think and work. P4 » » CHANDIGARH National Silk Expo: Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28, from 11 am to 9 pm, on till April 28 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 FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Governor lays stone for ~10-cr super-speciality Ayurveda hospital in city Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON MAX 37°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 36.6°C | MIN 27.3°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 5.50 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Two days on, criminal who fled police custody nabbed Chandigarh, April 20 The UT police on Saturday nabbed a notorious criminal two days after he escaped from police custody while being transported back to Burail Jail from the Mohali District Court. Rintu (27), a resident of Phase 2, Ram Darbar, had been escorted by UT police officers to the Mohali court for a hearing in a murder case registered at the Zirakpur police station in 2023. He was being brought back to the jail when he managed to escape from custody. According to reports, Rintu shoved one of the escorting officers and ran through a dry drain nearby. The police chasing him, but failed to catch hold of him. A case was registered at the Sohana police station. Around 10:45 pm yesterday, Sub-Inspector Gurwinder Singh and his team were patrolling near Hallo Majra when they noticed a person trying to flee on seeing them. He was nabbed and later identified as Rintu. A knife was also recovered from him. A fresh case under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against him. Rintu is a habitual offender with a staggering 17 cases of murder, attempt to murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, sexual offence and theft pending against him. MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET MONDAY 6.52 PM » MONDAY | 21 APRIL 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Tribune News Service Virat Kohli shakes hands with Punjab Kings player Josh Inglis after winning the match at Mullanpur on Sunday. PHOTOS: RAVI KUMAR Fans treated to Kohli charisma in Mullanpur’s final IPL clash Star RCB opener dazzles with match-winning knock of73 Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service New Chandigarh, April 20 Beating the scorching heat, cricket fans turned up in large numbers to cheer not only for hosts Punjab Kings but also another popular franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), at Mullanpur today. The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Punjab Cricket Association International Stadium hosted its last match of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 18th season, with the hosts going down against the visitors by seven wickets. Punjab Kings, who were on a high after winning back-toback matches, found themselves locked in a battle for fan support with former Indian skipper and star RCB opener Virat Kohli right from the start. “My mother and I support Kohli, but my father is supporting Punjab Kings. It was exciting to see which one of us would win the battle,” said Priyanshi, a young spectator. “RCB is the best team, with world-class players and above all, they have Kohli. Last time, the rain played spoilsport but we got to enjoy a full game today,” said Sushant, another spectator, adding, “I just wanted to see Kohli batting at his best today.” Several stands also had around 35 to 40 police personnel, many of whom enjoyed Chandigarh, April 20 Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria today laid the foundation stone for a 250-bed Super-Speciality Ayurveda Hospital at Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College and Hospital (SDACH), Sector 46, here. The event marked the golden jubilee celebrations of the college. Addressing the gathering, Kataria described the event as more than just a ceremonial act — a step towards fusing India’s ancient healing practices with cutting-edge healthcare technologies. He emphasised the Centre’s potential to benefit not only the residents of Chandigarh but also the neighbouring states. He lauded Shri Dhanwantry Educational Society for its fivedecade dedication to quality Ayurvedic education, ethical practices and research. The college, established in 1975, has produced over 2,500 graduates, now serving in healthcare facilities nationwide. The Governor highlighted India’s renewed commitment to Ayurveda, referencing the Union Budget 2025–26 allocation of Rs 3,992.90 crore for the Ministry of AYUSH. He underlined the transformative role of Structures along rivulet razed Tribune News Service Mohali, April 20 A team of the Mining and Drainage Department carried out a demolition drive along the Patiala ki Rao rivulet in Nayagaon today. Action in compliance with High Court orders Spectators enjoy the match at the new PCA stadium. GATECRASHING GALORE AT THE STADIUM Several fans at the stadium complained about gatecrashing incidents. “It happened right in front of me. An officer brought two or three people and they directly entered the stands. Later, I saw them standing in the aisle,” said a spectator. Some spectators, who entered the stadium without ticket, were seen being taken out by the police. the match from near the fence — an area otherwise restricted for fans. Meanwhile, all roads leading to the stadium witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic. Even after the start of the match, fans were seen queued up at the entry awaiting their turn. “I started around 1.30 pm, but it took me almost two hours to reach my designated gate. The support for RCB is surely more than that of the hosts Kings. I am eagerly waiting to enter the stadium,” said Prabhnoor, a spectator. Vendors make a quick buck The locals took advantage of the scorching heat to sell ice creams, water bottles and cold drinks to those standing in long queues and also to those approaching the stadium entrance gates. “The demand for cold drinks and water bottles is high. No one objects to paying some extra amount for getting a chilled bottle of water,” said Sonu, a local resident. With no shops located nearby, the vendors made a quick buck. Accompanied by heavy police force, the officials demolished shops, boundary walls of farm houses and tenements in compliance with the High Court orders. They said a list of structures obstructing the flow of the rivulet had been made and action was being taken against the offenders. No obstruction to the drive was posed by the owners. Structures alongside the rivulet cause a potential risk to life and property during the monsoon season. No new structure is being allowed to be constructed in these areas, said the officials. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria lays the foundation stone for the hospital at Sector 46 on Sunday. PATIENTS WITH SPINE DISORDERS TO BENEFIT The upcoming 250-bed facility at Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College and Hospital will be a centre of excellence for Ayurvedic management of spine disorders. The hospital is being built with a grant of about ~10 crore under the Ministry of AYUSH's Ayurswasthya Yojana. digital tools like telemedicine and the Ayush Grid in expanding the accessibility and relevance of traditional healthcare. Several important healthcare initiatives were also launched at the event, reflecting the college’s broader public health mission. These include a neonatal intensive care unit, a free delivery programme (covering both normal and caesarean births), a free anti-rabies vaccination campaign and a geriatric care programme designed to offer compassionate services to senior citizens. Distinguished dignitaries in attendance included Dr Koustubh Upadhyaya, Adviser (Ayurveda), Ministry of AYUSH; KK Gupta, president of Shri Dhanwantry Educational Society; and college principal Dr Sumit Srivastava. Later, a convocation was held during which 135 students received their degrees. The event was presided over by Satnam Singh Sandhu, Rajya Sabha MP He encouraged the grad. uates to channel their knowledge towards service and transformation, noting the healing potential within Ayurvedic and holistic systems. A first, civic body to rope in women for door-to-door water testing in UT Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 20 Setting a new example of women empowerment, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has decided to rope in women to collect water samples for doorto-door testing facility in the city. Amit Kumar, MC Commissioner, said this unique project was being launched as part of the Amrut Mitra Initiative under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Women have always played a great role in water conservation, he added. The Municipal Corporation has issued a request for empanelment (RFE) for a women City-Level Federation (CLF)/Area-Level Federation (ALF) to operate a mobile testing laboratory. They will collect potable water samples from houses and government as well as private institutions in the city. Under the project, samples will be collected daily from 6 am to 2 pm. It will be operated from the main laboratory of the waterworks, Sector 39. All sectors, Mani Majra Town and 22 villages will be covered under the project. The samples will be collected from various locations, including residences, government/private institutions, villages, colonies and schools. It will be the responsibility of the empanelled agency to ensure proper labelling and documentation of the samples. The city-level federation will collect and conduct tests in accordance with the established protocols and guidelines. It will also operate and manage the mobiletesting laboratory. The federation will collect Continued on page 3 Property tax hike: Federation launches signature drive Tribune News Service Satnam Singh Sandhu, Rajya Sabha MP, addresses a meeting of CRAWFED. PRADEEP TEWARI Chandigarh, April 20 The Chandigarh Residents Associations Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) today launched a signature campaign against the three-fold hike in property tax rates. A decision to launch the campaign was taken in the executive committee meeting of the federation held in the Sector 21 Community Centre. The federation has more than 86 Residents Welfare Associations of the city. Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament c m y b (Rajya Sabha), was the chief guest on the occasion. Hitesh Puri, president of CRAWFED, requested Sandhu to help residents by getting the property tax hike notification annulled. He said 80%of population of the city was salaried class or pensioners. The federation submitted a memorandum to Sandhu appealing him to take up the matter with the relevant ministries and departments, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs. The federation raised various issues before Sandhu, which included regularisation of need-based changes in CHB flats, reservation in jobs and education for Chandigarh natives, arbitrary increase in taxes and penalties by the Chandigarh Administration, restrictions on the share-wise sale of residential properties due to heritage claims, non-payment of park maintenance funds to RWAs, and MC’s proposal to hike community centre booking charges. Sandhu assured the members that he would take up their concerns at the highest levels and emphasised his commitment to the welfare of the city residents. Arun Kumar Verma, Director of Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL), also attended the meeting. He informed the gathering about the initiatives the company has; taken since taking the reins of the electricity distribution and retail supply operations in the city. He said a comprehensive survey and assessment of all grid substations and 192 indoor substations was carried out. An infrastructure maintenance campaign was launched to fortify the power network ahead of the peak summers. He said a roundthe-clock helpline, reachable at 924021666, has been fully operational since February 1. The privatisation of the Electricity Department would not impact tariffs, as these would continue to be regulated by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission. The CPDL has slashed the time for releasing new power connections to just three days — provided no additional infrastructure is needed. The company has also replaced 2,541 defective meters, said Verma.