29042025-CT-01.qxd 4/29/2025 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CITY HAS NO FACILITY FOR PLASTIC WASTE DISPOSAL: MC CROSS-BORDER DRUG CARTEL BUSTED WITH ARREST OF NINE CRUISE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FINAL RECKONINGRELEASE Reply comes in response to a question by councillor over steps taken for implementation of plastic ban. P3 Punjab-based kingpin with links to Pakistan-based suppliers arrested, 300 gm heroin recovered. P3 Actor-director Kenneth Branagh believes Tom Cruise is more than just a movie star. P4 » » WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, & Dhanas Panchkula: Sector 15 Mohali: Sector 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 9 am to 11 pm: Parts of Sectors 18, 19, 24, 36, 37, 46, 49, complex housing Dainik Bhaskar & Punjab Kesari facilities, UIET in Sector 25 Road closed for laying pipeline Chandigarh, April 28 To facilitate the laying of tertiary-treated water pipeline, one side of the road from St Kabir Public School, Sector 26, to the golf course light point will remain closed from April 30 to May 7. — TNS MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 39°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 38.5°C | MIN 23.6°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.59 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.41 AM » TUESDAY | 29 APRIL 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE UT startups of women, transgenders to get ~2L additional grant Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 The UT Administration has decided to give an additional grant of Rs 2 lakh to the startups led by women or transgenders. The special grant will be provided under the Chandigarh Startup Policy to be unveiled by Punjab Governorcum-UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria tomorrow. According to the policy, for seed-stage and early-growth startups, a Rs 4.6-crore corpus has been set aside. Under the seed stage, 20 eligible startups will receive Rs 7 lakh each, with an additional Rs 2 lakh for ventures led by women or transgenders. In the earlygrowth category, 20 eligible ventures will get Rs 12 lakh each to support commercialisation with an additional Rs 2 lakh for startups led by women or transgenders. To ignite the young minds, the Administration has earmarked Rs 90 lakh for a grand startup competition. Each year, the top 20 winners will receive an idea grant of Rs 2 lakh, along ~4.6-CR FOR SEED-STAGE, EARLY-GROWTH VENTURES According to the policy, for seedstage and early-growth startups, a ~4.6-crore corpus has been set aside. Under the seed stage, 20 eligible startups will receive ~7 lakh each, with an additional ~2 lakh for ventures led by women or transgenders. In the early-growth category, 20 eligible ventures will get ~12 lakh each to support commercialisation with an additional ~2 lakh for ventures led by women or transgenders. with incubation support for one year, while the next 50 runners-up will be awarded Rs 1 lakh each with incubation support for one year. The policy also includes reimbursement-based fiscal incentives, such as subsidised rent of Rs 5,000 for office space per month for 50 startups, Rs 1-lakh support for IT and quality certifications to 20 startups and Rs 10,000 for filing patent to 40 startups. Besides, Rs 50,000 will be given to 50 ventures for participation in national conferences or workshops, Rs 2.5 lakh to two startups for taking part in international conference and workshop, and Rs 23 lakh for participation in the acceleration programme. On September 3, 2022, the UT Administration rolled out the draft startup policy with a dedicated fund for the city ecosystem. The main objective of the policy is to enable the establishment and growth of at least 200 new startups during the policy period of five years. The policy will extend financial and non-financial incentives to startups across all stages of their lifecycle and provide an impetus to incubators for building infrastructure and capacity through financial incentives. The Policy Monitoring and Implementation Committee, headed by the Secretary, Industries, will accord approvals to selected startups and incubators. c m y b BEATING THE HEAT: Children have a splash at the fountains in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Admn declares holiday today Chandigarh, April 28 The UT Administration has declared a public holiday on April 29 on account of Parshuram Jayanti. All government offices, boards, corporations, institutions and industrial establishments under the Administration, schools and colleges will remain closed. — TNS CHB official gets 4-year jail for taking ~20K bribe Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 28 A local court has sentenced Jagdish Raj Manchanda, a senior assistant with the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), to undergo four years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case. Manchanda was nabbed by the UT Vigilance Department while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 20,000fromaresidentofEWSflats, Dhanas,inMarch2020.The complainant told the officials that he had lost the documents pertaining to the flat ownership. He alleged that Manchanda assured him that he would provide duplicate documents, Continued on page 3 Dera Bassi girl found dead at beach in Canada Mohali, April 28 A 21-year-old girl from Dera Bassi was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Ottawa, Canada, recently. Vanshika, a student, who was missing since April 22, was found dead near a beach. Her father, Davinder Saini, a Continued on page 3