08102025-CT-01.qxd 10/8/2025 1:04 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CITY’S WASTE MANAGEMENT FACES INSTITUTIONAL NEGLECT TAMANNA CLAIMS FENCING GOLD AT INTER-COLLEGE MEET TEWARI MEETS KHATTAR FOR MASS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM The MC lacks a unified command to manage solid waste. There is no expert staff to deal with it. P2 Tamanna defeats Gurjot Kaur to win foil trophy at PU inter-college fencing tournament for women. P2 MP Manish Tewari urges Union Minister ML Khattar to implement MRTS project in Chandigarh. P3 » » HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. THE ISSUE Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH MUSICAL SHOW: Spic Macay Chandigarh & Chandigarh Citizens’ Foundation to present Shankar Slide Guitar by Dr Kamala Shankar accompanied by Pt Durjay Bhaumik (tabla); Chandigarh Museum & Art Gallery Auditorium, Sector 10; October 10 (6 pm to 7 pm) CEREMONY: Honda India Foundation to handover quick response team vehicles to Chandigarh Police; Tagore Theatre, Sector 18 (9:30 am) CURTAIN-RAISER: The Khushwant Singh Foundation Director Rahul Singh to announce schedule of annual Khushwant Singh Litfest to be held at Kasauli (HP) from October 10 to 12; Chandigarh Press Club, Sector 27 (12 noon) MOHALI FLAGGING-OFF: PSPCL to hold flag-off ceremony of Rs 728-crore Outage Reduction Plan for Mohali district; 66-KV grid substation, IT City, Sector 82 (10.45 am) APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF TWO HELD WITH 9 STOLEN BIKES Mohali: The police arrested two Bhagomajra youths — Gurpreet Singh and Rohit Kumar — and recovered nine stolen bikes from them. Cops said the accused were nabbed at a naka on October 3. They used to unlock bikes with a master key and steal them. Later, they used to sell the stolen vehicles to locals at very low price. The accused operated in the Balongi, Sohana and Kharar areas. TNS 37-YEAR-OLD MAN DIES BY SUICIDE Mohali: A 37-year-old migrant worker employed at a dry cleaner’s shop here reportedly died at the GMCH-32 in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The victim, Arvind Kumar, had taken a celphos tablet two days ago. TNS FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Top cop’s suicide Engineering Dept asks UT Finance Secy to review enforcing directive Nitin Jain WHAT’S ON MAX 29°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 18.3°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.20 AM /THETRIBUNECHD MHA order ties UT’s hands, routine works grind to a halt PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6 PM » WEDNESDAY | 8 OCTOBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Chandigarh, October 7 The UT Engineering Department has raised the red flag over the curtailment of its financial powers following a recent order by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), warning that the move has effectively brought all development, repair and maintenance works across the city to a grinding halt. In a communication to the UT Finance Secretary, the department has sought an urgent review of the Finance Department’s order dated September 30, which implemented the MHA’s September 19 directive mandating that all project proposals, including those up to Rs 100 crore, must now be routed through the MHA for appraisal and approval, instead of being cleared locally. UT Finance Secretary Diprava Lakra, when contacted, said the Administration had no option but to comply with the MHA directive. “We have to implement the Centre’s directions and that is what we have done. Any relaxation can come ■ On September 19, the MHA (UT Division) directed all UTs without legislatures, including Chandigarh, Ladakh and Lakshadweep, to route all public-funded schemes and projects up to ~100 crore through the MHA for appraisal and approval. The move stems from the implementation of the DFPR-2024, which bars re- IMPACT delegation of such powers. ■ The UT Finance Department, on September 30, withdrew powers earlier delegated to local officers for administrative approvals and tender acceptance, leaving the Engineering Department unable to sanction even minor repairs or maintenance without Central clearance. WHY IT MATTERS While the MHA order aims to ensure tighter financial scrutiny of projects in union territories, Chandigarh’s unique administrative structure — where the Engineering Department handles both capital projects and daily civic maintenance — means that the blanket restriction has paralysed basic operations. Officials caution that unless local officers are re-empowered soon, the city could face a pile-up of pending works, disrupting civic upkeep and slowing development momentum. only through fresh guidelines from the MHA,” he told The Tribune. However, following objections raised by the Engineering Department, sources said the Finance Secretary has reached out to senior officials in the MHA for clarification on the scope of the new rules. Citing Rule 12(2) of the Delegation of Financial Powers Rules (DFPR), 2024, the MHA has made it clear that such powers “cannot be redelegated” to UT adminis- trators or their departments. This has withdrawn the long-held powers of Chandigarh officers to grant administrative approvals or accept tenders locally. The fallout has been immediate and far-reaching. The Engineering Department, responsible for maintaining Chandigarh’s core civic and institutional infrastructure — from roads, sewerage and government housing to landmark buildings — has been unable to proceed with even ■ Routine maintenance and repair works stalled across government housing and institutions ■ Whitewashing and painting delayed during the festive season ■ Recarpeting of city roads, including those recently taken over from the MC, halted ■ Upkeep of Raj Bhawans, High Court, Secretariats and hospitals affected ■ Budget utilisation likely to drop, risking under-spending for 2025-26. ■ Administrative delays threaten to slow down development and public services SSP Kanwardeep Kaur and a Haryana Police officer come out of the Sector 11 residence of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar who allegedly shot himself dead in Chandigarh on Tuesday; and (left) family members of the victim gather near the ambulance taking the body for a postmortem examination. routine maintenance or whitewashing works without the MHA clearance. The department argued that these everyday activities do not qualify as “projects” under the Ministry of Finance’s definition in its 2016 guidelines. As per the CPWD Maintenance Manual, day-to-day repairs, annual preventive maintenance, waterproofing, recarpeting, flooring or re-grassing are operational necessities, not Continued on page 2 PHOTOS: RAVI KUMAR City logs region’s heaviest rain for second day in a row Slum-free tag achieved, 59.8 mm rainfall recorded in UT, mercury dips sharply as post-monsoon showers drench plains Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 7 For the second consecutive day, the Tricity was lashed by unseasonal downpour on Tuesday, with Chandigarh recording the region’s highest rainfall of 59.8 mm, including 19.2 mm from 8 am to 8 pm on Tuesday, and Mohali close behind at 48 mm, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin. The spell led to a sharp fall in day temperatures, taking them nearly 10°C below normal, while humidity levels hovered between 82% and 93%, adding to the damp chill in the air. The maximum temperature in Chandigarh settled at 22°C, nearly 11°C below the normal, while the minimum dipped to 18.3°C, marking one of the coolest October mornings so far this season. In Mohali, the maximum temperature was 23.4°C and the minimum 18.5°C, both People walk their way through rain in Chandigarh on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR markedly below normal. Panchkula also witnessed moderate rain with cloudy skies through the day. The IMD said light to moderate rain with thunderstorms occurred at most places across Punjab and Haryana, while heavy rain was observed at isolated locations in Haryana. TRICITY METER CITY MAX MIN RAIN Chd 22°C 18.3°C 59.8 mm Mohali 23.4°C 18.5°C 48 mm P’kula 21.4°C 18.1°C Moderate The unusual showers have been attributed to a western disturbance cou- pled with moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea, which kept the skies over north India cloudy and active even after the formal withdrawal of monsoon from the region last week. According to the five-day forecast, the sky over Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula will gradually clear, turning partly cloudy on Wednesday and mainly clear thereafter, with the maximum temperature likely to rise to around 29°C31°C and minimum to hover near 19°C-20°C. Even though the southwest monsoon has formally withdrawn, October often witnesses “post-monsoon” or retreating monsoon showers, driven by residual moisture and fresh western disturbances. This year, the combination of upper air cyclonic circulation and humidity incursion from the Arabian Sea has triggered rain over northwest India, particularly the Tricity region. Such spells, though brief, cool the atmosphere sharply, suppressing day temperatures and enhancing humidity. The immediate impact is a pleasant drop in heat and cleaner air, but persistent moisture may delay the return of clear autumn weather. UT to now raze illegal settlements in Dhanas Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 7 With the city earning the slum-free tag after the demolition of Shahpur Colony last week, the UT Administration has now set its sights on clearing other encroachments. A demolition drive is planned for illegal settlements at the Kachi Colony, which is spread over 10 to 12 acres of agricultural and village common land in Dhanas. A senior officer said a case related to the colony was pending in the SDM’s court, adding that the drive will be carried out once the order is pronounced. The colony has around 800 temporary houses. Officials said eviction notices would be issued shortly after the order was passed by the SDM, adding that the Administration has identified around seven to eight farm- Kachi Colony spread over 10 to 12 acres of agri, village common land ers and land owners on whose land the colony has been built. Notably, while the Administration has been pushing for eviction, landowners are demanding the introduction of a land pooling policy for Chandigarh akin to other states. They have expressed their willingness to hand over their land but insist on a policy that offers fair returns. The farmers argue that the land is unsuitable for cultivation and most of the structures are temporary rental sheds. They said the Administration must bring a land pooling policy before clearing the colony. A land owner said the temporary sheds on private land Continued on page 2 UT Chief Secy Prasad to take charge today Prayers pour in as singer Jawanda battles for life Chandigarh, October 7 Newly appointed UT Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad will join the Chandigarh Administration on Wednesday. Prasad, who reached the city today, was presented a Guard of Honour at the UT State Guest House. Later, he paid a courtesy call on Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Raj Bhavan. Kataria extended best wishes to him for a successful tenure. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had ordered the appointment of Prasad, an IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, as Chief Secretary of Chandigarh after incumbent Mohali, October 7 Thousands of fans across the world are praying for the recovery of Punjabi singer Rajvir Jawanda, who is battling for life at a private hospital here. They are doing everything they can to see their beloved singer hale and hearty. Discussing latest advancements in medical fields to organising Akhand Path to visiting gurdwaras and making vows in exchange of the well-being of the Punjabi singer — their belief in the power of prayers has found a renewed vigour. Almost everyone has just ‘ Waheguru Maher Kare’ on their lips and hearts. H Rajesh Prasad Rajeev Verma, a 1992-batch IAS officer, was transferred to Delhi as Chief Secretary. Prasad was serving as Principal Secretary, Power, Jammu and Kashmir, since 2022. Born in Karnataka, he had held various posts in Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and J&K. — TNS Gaurav Kanthwal AKHAND PATH ORGANISED Tribune News Service c m y b ■ Discussing latest advancements SAD president Sukhbir Badal meets singer Rajvir Jawanda’s family members at a private hospital in Mohali on Tuesday. His well-wishers and fellow singers have been camping outside the hospital for the past 10 days in the hope of a trickle of good news but, it seems, the God is testing their patience to the hilt. Nevertheless, they are not back- in medical fields to organising Akhand Path to visiting gurdwaras and making vows in exchange of the well-being of the Punjabi singer— their belief in the power of prayers has found a renewed vigour. ■ Punjabi singer Harbhajan Mann posted on X: “Today at Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib, Mohali, the concluding ceremony (Bhog) of the Akhand Path Sahib was held on behalf of the family of Rajvir, along with many fellow artists. Together, we all humbly prayed at the feet of Guru Sahib for Rajvir’s Charhdi Kala.” ing out and are determined to stay put till God answers their prayers. Punjabi singer Harbhajan Mann posted on X: “Today at Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib, Mohali, the concluding ceremony (Bhog) of the Akhand Path Sahib was held on behalf of the family of Rajvir Jawanda, along with many fellow artists. Together, we all humbly prayed at the feet of Guru Sahib for Rajvir’s Charhdi Kala.” Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today enquired about the well-being of the Punjabi singer, who has hospitalised since September 27 when he had met with an accident in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Badal met Jawanda’s mother and family members and expressed hope that the Continued on page 2