07052025-CT-01.qxd 5/7/2025 12:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MOVING CAR CATCHES FIRE ON ZIRAKPUR HIGHWAY HC IMPOSES ~20K COST ON UT FOR DELAY IN DUMP CASE DILJIT DOSANJH MAKES A REGAL DEBUT AT MET GALA A moving car caught fire on Zirakpur flyover, hitting movement of traffic. Nobody was hurt in the mishap. P2 ~20,000 cost imposed on Admn for failing to file a reply in a PIL pertaining to Dadu Majra garbage dump. P3 Diljit made a regal debut at Met Gala 2025, winning the Kerala-woven blue carpet hands down and how!. P4 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Book release: Sikh Struggle Documents 1920-2022 by Jagtar Singh, Chandigarh Press Club, Sector 27-B, on May 11 at 11 am APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 Mohali: Phase 11 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF PURSE SNATCHED IN ZIRAKPUR Zirakpur: Two unidentified youths snatched the purse of a woman in Shivalik Vihar area here around 12 noon on Monday. The victim, Gurmeet Kaur, a resident of Shivalik Vihar, stated that she was returning home when two youths following her for some distance snatched her purse containing Rs 5,000 and important documents. The victim raised the alarm, but the suspects managed to run away. The incident was captured by a CCTV camera installed in the neighbourhood. TNS 2 Rajasthan men held for stock trading frauds Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 6 The Cybercrime Cell of the UT police has arrested two persons for duping stock investors of more than Rs 66 lakh by posing as legitimate brokers and investment advisers. The suspects were identified as Mukesh Kumar Gujar (33) of Rampura Papat, Jaipur, and Lalit Saini (23) of Sanganer, also in Jaipur. They were arrested in separate cases. Sub Inspectors Yashpal Singh and Jaskirandeep Kaur headed the respective teams that nabbed them in Rajasthan. Mukesh was arrested in a case registered on the complaint of Ashok Kumar, a resident of Sector 35. Ashok had received a phone call from a woman, claiming to be Rekha Aggarwal, who lured him with promises of massive profits through online trading on a platform, IBKR (Interactive Broker). After connecting him to a “client manager”, named Rajiv Mehta, the victim was sent a malicious link that downloaded a fake trading app onto his phone. With fraudulent guidance, he began trading, only to be locked out of the app and the communication group after Continued on page 3 Nearly 2,500 structures at Janta Colony in Sector 25 demolished Chandigarh, May 6 The UT Administration today removed nearly 2,500 structures at Janta Colony in Sector 25 here and reclaimed about 10 acres of government land worth Rs 350 crore. Earth-moving machines of the Estate Office were pressed into service during the demolition drive, which was carried out to make the city slum-free. Janta Colony was the largest illegal slum cluster in the city. The Administration had tried to remove the colony two years ago, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the demolition. After the stay was vacated recently, the UT reclaimed the land today. Most of the residents had already removed their belongings before the drive began. Many dwellers said they had nowhere to go and they would be forced to live on pavements. The largest slum of the city was home to over 10,000 people. The land has been earmarked for a dispensary, primary school, community centre and a shopping area. To ensure that the demolition was carried out smoothly, the Administration had constituted 10 teams and 1,500 cops were deployed to maintain law and order. Earlier, the Estate Office had demolished jhuggis in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area, Phase I, and reclaimed 6 acres of government land worth Rs 250 crore on April 23. — TNS A demolition drive underway at Janta Colony in Sector 25, Chandigarh, on Tuesday; and (below) a dweller in a poignant mood. PRADEEP TEWARI CONGRESS FLAYS ADMN DRIVE City Congress president HS Lucky has condemned the demolition drive carried out in Janta Colony, Sector 25, and urged the UT Administration to make alternative arrangements for displaced families immediately. Lucky stated that it was utterly inhumane to render young children, women, old, and infirm people homeless in such a ‘heartless’ manner. UT ready to share RLA revenue after Governor’s promise: Mayor MC spent beyond its earnings during two fiscals: Audit To soon seek MHA nod for part of bailout package to MC Ramkrishan Upadhyay Ramkrishan Upadhyay Chandigarh, May 6 The Municipal Corporation spent more than what it earned during the year 202223 and 2023-24. As the gap between expenditure and revenue continued to increase, the civic body is now left with no money for carrying out any maintenance or development work. The MC had earned profit in the fiscal 2021-22, as per the figures provided to the Audit Department. The civic body had generated Rs 823 crore, including grant-in-aid and revenue from internal sources. During the period, the total expenditure was recorded at Rs 760 crore, leaving the civic body with the profit of Rs 62.18 crore. The financial situation of the civic body started declining thereafter. As per the audit report, the MC had generated Rs 872 crore Continued on page 3 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 6 Days after Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria promised to bail out the severely fund-starved Municipal Corporation (MC), Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Tuesday claimed that the UT Administration has agreed to share the revenue generated by the Registering and Licencing Authority (RLA) from vehicle registrations with the civic body. In an exclusive chat with The Tribune last week, Kataria had said the UT Administration was considering several options for a bailout package to pull the MC out of the economic crisis. The Mayor said the revenue would be shared in ratio of the maintenance of road works undertaken by the Administration and the MC. Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla says revenue sharing will be done without transferring the RLA to the MC. FILE PHOTO She said the revenue sharing would be done without transferring the RLA to the MC. She said besides, the Administration has also agreed for transferring some of the works carried out by the Estate Office to the MC. She said senior officials of the UT, including the Finance Secretary, informed her that the Administration would soon write to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to give the permission for revenuesharing. She said the assurance came after she wrote letters to UT Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and Home Secretary-cum-Local Government Secretary Mandip Singh Brar on the issues. Babla said the total revenue receipts of the RLA in a year stood at approximately Continued on page 3 Tribune News Service MAX 34°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 33.9°C | MIN 19.5°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.34 AM /THETRIBUNECHD City’s largest slum cluster razed, UT reclaims land worth ~350 cr PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.04 PM » WEDNESDAY | 7 MAY 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE UT to conduct mock drill today, 10-minute blackout at 7.30 pm Exercise at two sites in city at 4 pm Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 6 To strengthen disaster preparedness and enhance the coordination among emergency response agencies, the UT Administration will conduct a full-scale mock drill and a blackout for 10 minutes at 7.30 pm tomorrow. Amid escalation with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Central Government has decided to conduct mock drills at various places across the country. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav today convened a comprehensive review meeting with key stakeholders. The meeting was attended by SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, senior officers of the UT Administration, representatives of residents’ welfare associations and market welfare associations, and other associations. The meeting focused on the execution plan and logistical preparedness for a fullscale mock drill for building collapse and fire incident at two locations in Chandigarh at 4 pm. “As part of the drill, air raid warning sirens will be activated across the city, in response of which complete blackout is to be voluntarily implemented by all residents of the city from 7.30 pm to 7.40 pm tomorrow,” said the DC. During the blackout, citizens have been asked to stay home and turn off all indoor and outdoor lights. Those AIMS TO REDUCE POTENTIAL MASS PANIC ❝ The drill aims to prepare the civilian population for any exigency and reduce the potential of mass panic during such dire situation. ❞ — Nishant Kumar Yadav, DC driving can park their vehicles on the roadside and turn off the lights. After 7.40 pm, normal/routine activities may be carried out by citizens. The blackout will be conducted in a controlled and supervised manner to assess the response and adaptability of emergency services. The DC said the exercise would not apply to medical establishments. However, they should remain informed and alert. Yadav said the exercise was a part of the Administration’s continued efforts to evaluate and enhance the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations. It would involve coordinated participation of multiple agencies, Continued on page 3 High Court slams Zirakpur civic body over sewage mess Bench orders constitution of high-level panel to end crisis Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 6 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed strong disapproval over the “sorry state of affairs” and “adhocism” adopted by the Zirakpur Municipal Council in handling the town’s worsening sewerage mess, while warning that the present approach would “aggravate the situation in future”. Directing urgent intervention, Justice Kuldeep Tiwari’s Bench ordered the Secretary, Department of Local Bodies, Punjab, to constitute a high-level committee of stakeholders and experts to In sync draw up a scientifically sound and sustainable roadmap for resolving the crisis. The Bench was hearing a petition filed against the state of Punjab through its Secretary, Department of Local Bodies, by one Avtar Singh. Justice Tiwari’s Bench, during the course of hearing, observed that the photographs placed on record – and not disputed by the authorities – revealed widespread stagnation of sewage and rainwater in and around residential colonies in Zirakpur, prompting the court to take serious note of the ground realities. The situation, the court noted, had led to immense hardships for the inhabitants and exposed alarming gaps in the town’s basic civic infrastructure. The Bench also referred to a written statement filed by the respondent authorities, admitting the plight of residents while citing inadequate sewerage channels as the cause. It stated that natural drains of erstwhile villages— now subsumed into Zirakpur’s urban sprawl— were earlier sufficient but had now become grossly inadequate due to rapid expansion. A project was initiated to lay sewer lines, but the work was stalled due to Continued on page 3 TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Illegal abortion centre unearthed in Panchkula Tribune News Service Panchkula, May 6 A district Health Department team unearthed an illegal abortion centre at Saketri village. In a complaint to the Health Department, a man stated that he and his wife had approached Tushar Saha, who was allegedly run- ning the illegal clinic, seeking an abortion. He provided a medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kit. Following its use, the woman’s condition severely deteriorated. She was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, and later referred to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, where she underwent life-saving sur- gery —laparotomy and hysterectomy. Following a complaint, a team of the Health Department conducted a raid at “Bengali Clinic” being run by the unqualified practitioner. During a search, the team found a large stock of illegally stored allopathic medicines. On interrogation, Saha confessed to have provided the couple an MTP kit. When asked, he failed to produce any recognised medical degree or a valid licence for conducting medical termination of pregnancy. He was only able to show a certificate issued by an ayurvedic practitioners’ association, which did not authorise him to perform such medical procedures. c m y b His involvement was found to be in violation of Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the MTP Act, Sections 318 and 120(B) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 34 of the National Medical Commission Act. The Health Department has written to the MDC police station, Panchkula, to register a case and initiate legal proceedings against Saha. Indian Air Force's air warriors exhibit their skills on the concluding day of the 6th edition of the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament-2025 in Chandigarh on Tuesday.