23102025-CT-01.qxd 10/23/2025 12:15 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune UT AIR QUALITY STAYS ‘POOR’ TWO DAYS AFTER DIWALI MAN THRASHES NEIGHBOUR TO DEATH AFTER ALTERCATION SHOLAY BELONGS TO EVERY HEART: RAMESH SIPPY Experts say pollutants remain suspended in air due to low wind speed in the region. P2 The two had indulged in a heated argument over a minor dispute on Diwali night. P2 Sholay wasn’t just a blockbuster — its dialogues, characters and music etched into the cinema lovers. P4 » » MAINLY CLEAR MAX 33°C | MIN 19°C YESTERDAY MAX 32.5°C | MIN 19.7°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5.44 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:30 AM » THURSDAY | 23 OCTOBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE UTtoto get ~100-cr tourismCentre’s support makeover Plan develop city as ‘must-visit’ destination to get Dushyant Singh Pundir EXHIBITION CENTRE AT SARANGPUR ~40CR Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 34, 56 and Ram Darbar Panchkula: Sector 5 Mohali: Sec 88 and Phase 8 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Sakshi new GMADA chief Mohali, October 22 Amritsar DC Sakshi Sawhney will replace GMADA Chief Administrator Vishesh Sarangal. The 2013-batch Punjab cadre IAS officer’s stay at the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) lasted over seven months as he had joined here on February 27. Sawhney has earlier served as Patiala Deputy Commissioner for nearly two years. Pathankot, Gurdaspur DC and Fatehgarh Sahib ADC have also been transferred. In all, 6 IAS have been transferred in the latest administrative reshuffle in Punjab. Sarangal joins as Special Secretary, Good Governance and Information Technology, with additional charge of its Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Punjab State E-Governance Society, relieving Amit Talwar of additional charge. — TNS Chandigarh, October 22 An important stopover for tourists on their way to Himachal Pradesh, the administration is now preparing to make the city a “mustvisit” tourism destination. For the first time, the UT Administration has prepared a comprehensive Tourism Master Plan with a cost of over Rs 100 crore, with the aim of developing the city as a “mustvisit” destination while preserving its unique architectural and cultural character. Prepared by a consultant appointed by the Central Government, the plan has received administrative approval. The funding of the project, which has been submitted to Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, will be supported by the Centre under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme. According to officials, the master plan outlines several high-value projects designed to enhance the city’s tourism potential, improve visitor experience and highlight Chandigarh’s modernist heritage. The administration also plans to promote the city as a Bollywood shooting destination, with a single-window clearance system already in place to facilitate film productions. Among the flagship proj- Spread over 25 acres, concert-cumexhibition centre will be capable of hosting events for 30,000–35,000 people. The project includes provisions for a multi-level parking facility to manage large crowds. DIGITAL MUSEUM AT SECTOR 18 ~20CR It will be the city’s first fully digital, technology-based museum, featuring immersive AR and VR experiences to showcase the city’s history, design and cultural essence. NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AT SECTOR 10 ~35CR Tourists enjoy boating at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. FILE PHOTO ects proposed under the new plan are: Concert-cum-Exhibition Centre in Sarangpur (Rs 40 crore): Spread over 25 acres, this state-of-the-art venue will be capable of hosting events for 30,000–35,000 people. The project includes provisions for a multi-level parking facility to manage large crowds. Digital Museum in Sector 18 (Rs 20 crore): It will be the city’s first fully digital, technology-based museum, featuring immersive AR and VR experiences to showcase the city’s history, design and cultural essence. Natural History Museum in Sector 10 (Rs 35 crore): Located within the existing Museum and Art Gallery complex, the new facility will narrate the story of human evolution using interactive exhibits and modern display technology. In addition to these major projects, the administration is also working on developing sports and health tourism infrastructure, capitalising on Chandigarh’s green environment and Man booked for misbehaving with police at naka acquitted Chandigarh, October 22 A local court has acquitted a man who was booked on the charge of misbehaving with the traffic police at a drunken driving naka. The police had registered the case against Jasdeep Singh Bains on September 30, 2018, under Sections 186, 323, 332, 353, and 427 of the IPC for allegedly exiting the vehicle, refusing to alcometer testing and allegedly misbehaving with traffic police officials at a naka installed near the government school in Sector 7 here. The police had alleged that Jasdeep, when stopped at the naka, misbehaved with traffic police officials and tore Head Constable Satpal’s reflector jacket, threw his body camera and pushed him, resulting in a knee injury to the cop. Finding prima facie case, the court framed charges against the accused, to which he pleaded not guilty. The defense counsel, Rajesh Sharma, argued that there were contradictions in the prosecution’s case and the police also failed to produce reflector jacket and body camera allegedly damaged during the incident. — TNS City set to get first compressed biogas plant Indian Oil sends memorandum of understanding to MC for consideration Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 22 The city is all set to get its first segregated organic municipal solid waste-based compressed biogas (CBG) plant soon as Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has sent a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project to the Municipal Corporation for consideration. The IOCL sent the MoU after the MC General House approved the agenda for allotting work to a public sector company at its meeting held in August. This initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation scheme, which mandates oil marketing companies to support the development of CBG plants across the country. Sources said the IOCL had offered to invest in both capital expenditure and operational expenditure for the plant. This includes the construction of infrastructure, installation of utilities and ongoing operational costs. The plant will process segregated organic municipal solid waste, primarily wet trash, and cow dung to produce CBG and other useful by-products. Machines remove waste from the Dadumajra dump. FILE PHOTO TO COME UP ON 10 ACRES AT DADUMAJRA ■ The plant will process segregated ■ The segregated organic municipal organic municipal solid waste, primarily wet trash, and cow dung to produce compressed biogas and other by-products. ■ Land measuring 10 acres at the Dadumajra dumping ground and development of green cover is required for the project. ■ The MC shall ensure daily supply of waste (average 200 tonne per day) and cow dung (average 30 tonne per day) to the plant with provision for supplemental feedstock as required. solid waste will be supplied to the plant free of cost, while the cow dung transportation cost will be borne by Indian Oil at a mutually agreed rate. ■ The company will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the plant and associated infrastructure. The consultation charges for design, execution etc. shall be borne by the company. ■ The MC will allocate and lease out the identified land for 15 years at the rate Rs 1 per acre per month. The company says the plant will process the waste to produce gas as well as other byproducts such as fermented organic manure, liquid fermented organic manure, etc. Land measuring 10 acres at the Dadumajra dumping ground and development of green cover is required for the project. The MC shall ensure daily supply of waste (average 200 tonne per day) and cow dung (average 30 tonne per day) to the plant with provision for supplemental feedstock as required. The segregated organic municipal solid waste will be supplied to the plant free of cost, while the cow dung transportation cost will be borne by Indian Oil at a mutually agreed rate. The company will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the plant and associated infrastructure. The consultation charges for design, execution etc. shall be borne by Indian Oil. The MC will lease out identified land for 15 years at the rate Rs 1 per acre per month. Indian Oil shall also reimburse expenditure on account of development and maintenance of green cover mandatorily to be provided as per CPCB guidelines, i.e. 33% of the project land, which will be developed as green belt. Maintenance charges shall be paid to the MC on a monthly basis at a mutually agreed rate. The plant will not only support sustainable waste disposal but also contribute to the city's environmental and energy goals. Indian Oil is India’s flagship Maharatna oil company with business interest straddling the entire hydrocarbon value chain — from refining, pipeline transportation and marketing to exploration of crude oil and gas. c m y b growing wellness industry. 25% growth in tourist arrival Chandigarh has witnessed a noticeable rise in tourist arrivals this year. According to the Tourism Department’s data, 5,97,983 tourists visited the city in the first six months of 2025, compared to 4,77,565 visitors during the same period in 2024 — marking a growth of over 25%. In 2024, Chandigarh recorded a total of 10.37 lakh visitors, including 9.98 lakh domestic and 39,058 foreign tourists. Located within the existing Museum and Art Gallery complex, the new facility will narrate the story of human evolution using interactive exhibits and modern display technology. Between January and June 2025, the city has already welcomed 5.76 lakh domestic and 21,040 foreign tourists. The master plan’s focus is not only on increasing tourist numbers but also encouraging longer stays, offering a blend of cultural, technological and ecofriendly experiences that reflect the city’s modern spirit. With renewed focus on creative tourism projects, Chandigarh is gearing up to redefine its image—from a transit city to a vibrant standalone tourist destination. Two accused in custody of the police in Chandigarh. Juvenile among 3 held for Dadumajra firing Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 22 The police have arrested two youths and detained one juvenile in connection with a firing incident reported from Dadumajra Colony on Sunday night. The accused, Ajay, alias Konda (19); Aryan, alias Bona (20), both residents of Dadumajra; and a 16-year-old boy were nabbed. The juvenile was sent to the Juvenile Home in Sector 25. According to the police, a case dated October 20 was registered under Sections 109 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act at the Maloya police station. The incident occurred around 9 pm on October 19 near House No. 489 at Dadu Majra Colony. The victim, Vikas, alias Batti (21), a resi- Countrymade pistol, cartridges recovered dent of the same area, sustained a gunshot injury on his left hip. He was rushed to the PGIMER by local residents. In his statement to the police, Vikas alleged that the shot was fired by Ajay, with whom he had an old enmity. During the investigation, the police recovered a countrymade pistol and three cartridges from the accused. The investigation team is verifying the weapon’s source and whether it was used in any previous criminal activity. Both accused have studied up to the 9th and 10th standard, respectively. The police said further interrogation of the accused was underway to uncover the motive behind the attack.