27102025-CT-01.qxd 10/27/2025 12:40 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune UT ADMN UNIFIED GRIEVANCE PORTAL IN THE OFFING SARAANSH TAKES CRICKET BODY BATON FROM FATHER AYUSHMANN OFFERS WARM WELCOME TO ANEET PADDA DC Nishant Kumar Yadav says the Administration will make efforts to start the portal within a month. P3 Takes over the reins of the Union Territory Cricket Association from his father Sanjay Tandon. P3 Taking to Instagram story, Ayushmann shared a screenshot of the post-credit scenes from his film Thamma. P4 » » YOUTH HELD WITH STOLEN SCOOTER Chandigarh: The police have arrested Ritik Singh (24) of Rajiv Colony, Sector 17, Panchkula, and recovered a stolen scooter. Krishan Kumar Bhagat of Panchkula had reported that his scooter was stolen from outside a shop in Manimajra on October 20. TNS Centre seeks comments over Tewari’s letters Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service A “Bravehearts” motorcycle rally being taken out in Chandigarh on Sunday as a precursor to the Military Literature Festival. Military Literature Fest begins on Nov 7 Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 26 A wreath-laying ceremony to pay tributes to martyrs and a “Bravehearts” motorcycle rally were held here today as a precursor to the 9th edition of the Military Literature Festival (MLF) scheduled to be held from November 7 to 9 at Sukhna Lake here. Floral tributes were paid at the Chandigarh War Memorial by Governor of Punjab Gulab Chand Kataria, followed by former Chief of the Army Staff Gen VP Malik, former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa; Lt Gen TS Shergill, chairman of the MLF Association, and other veterans. A ceremonial guard from the Punjab Police reversed SMART CITY 24X7 WATER SUPPLY PROJECT MP Tewari writes to CAG, seeks performance audit district metering areas (DMAs) by 2029. This pan-city project was planned with a total expenditure of Rs 510 crore, including an AFD loan of Rs 412 crore (to be repaid over 15 years) and a European Union grant of Rs 98 crore. Tewari says upon completion, the project was expected to make Chandigarh the first Indian city with 24-hour access to clean drinking water. However, the Manimajra pilot project, implemented at a cost of Rs 166.06 crore under the Smart City Fund, has completely failed. He said owing to the poor performance of the pilot project, the MC is now considering scrapping the entire citywide project, as not a single area in Manimajra currently receives uninterrupted and high-pressure water supply, he claims. Vigilance inquiry The MP also points out that in July 2025, following corruption allegations made by Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, the UT Vigilance Department initiated an inquiry. However, the MC provided only incomplete records, consisting merely of tender documents and noting files, instead of the complete project documentation. Media reports have suggested that the vigilance investigation has been deliberately derailed, with vested interests allegedly attempting to suppress evidence and influence the inquiry process, says the MP in his letter. Taking cognisance, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission issued notices to both the Vigilance Department and the MC. While multiple agencies are investigating the project’s failure, no independent third-party evaluation of water quality has been conducted so far. Smart City Ltd data Reliance on self-reported CSCL data is unreliable, and the lack of clarity over loan arrangements further undermines the credibility of official statements — highlighting the need for an independent financial verification. Given the MC’s own acknowledgment of the project’s complete failure and its consideration of scrapping the initiative, an independent execution audit has become essential to assess public fund mismanagement and to prevent similar failures in other cities, writes Tewari. ■ Since the formation of the Municipal Corporation, the city has witnessed over 30 mayors. ■ Chandigarh MP Tewari is also in favour of a system, under which a properly empowered “Mayor in Council” is directly elected by all electorate for a term of five years. ■ The tenure of Mayor had been fixed at one year when the MC was officially formed on May 24, 1994, by extending the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994. ■ Many feel that when the councillors are elected for five years, there is no justification in fixing the Mayor’s tenure at one year. term of five years. The tenure of Mayor had been fixed at one year when the MC was officially formed on May 24, 1994, by extending the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994. Not only Tewari, many councillors and citizens are in favour of enhancing the tenure. Jasbir Singh Bunty, Senior Deputy Mayor, said the fiveyear tenure for the Mayor will ensure a proper development of the city. A committee formed by the Cabinet Secretariat in 2018 had recommended five-year tenure for the Mayors of all UTs. It was formed under the chairmanship of the Secretary (Coordination Cabinet Secretariat) having all chief secretaries of UTs as its members. The committee also recommended not to give voting rights to nominated members of the MC House. However, the administration differed on both recommendations. An MC official said if the Centre agreed to the fiveyear-tenure proposal, then a Bill for amending the Act would have to be presented in Parliament. nating at Chandimandir. Over 650 riders, including members of various bike clubs from the region and 16 veterans, participated in the rally. Amongst them were around 100 riders from three all-women groups, Mitran Di Motorcycle Mandali led by Shalini, One Biker Divas led by Harneet Kaur and The Motorcyclists (Women) led by Hardeep Singh. Four arrested for robbing auto-driver at knifepoint MC ward delimitation process to commence early next year BJP delegation meets Guv over ‘Vocal for Local’ Number to remain 35, reserved wards to be rejigged Tribune News Service Dushyant Singh Pundir Chandigarh, October 26 A delegation of the city BJP led , by general secretary Ramvir Bhatti, today called on Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria at the Raj Bhawan here. The delegation submitted a memorandum requesting Kataria to consider making special policy provisions to promote local manufacturers and locally made products in Chandigarh. The members emphasised that as a model city of India, Chandigarh should pioneer initiatives that encourage the “Vocal for Local” campaign and strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India. The delegation said exclusive platforms be created for small and medium manufacturers to showcase and sell their products. They proposed that schools, colleges and public institutions should also participate in this movement by encouraging the use of locally produced goods. — TNS Tribune News Service Residents of Shivalik View in Manimajra complain about receiving muddy water supply. FILE PHOTO Chandigarh, October 26 The UT Administration is considering enhancing the tenure of the Chandigarh Mayor from one year to five years. Sources said the offices of the Local Government Department and the Deputy Commissioner are working on the proposal and examining the models of other cities. They will send their comments and recommendations to the Government of India after approval of UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The sources said the Centre had asked the Administration to send its comments on the representations made by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari over the matter. The MP in his letters to , Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has strongly supported a five-year tenure for the Chandigarh Mayor. He has also incorporated the proposal in the private Bill on Chandigarh, which he plans to introduce in Parliament in near future. Tewari said the present one-year tenure of Mayor MP ALSO FAVOURS DIRECT ELECTION arms as a mark of respect to the fallen soldiers while buglers sounded the Last Post. A large number of NCC cadets were also present. The Governor flagged-off the motorcycle rally that passed through Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula to commemorate the services, sacrifices and achievements of the heroes of the 1965 Indo-Pak War, before culmi- Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 26 Chandigarh MP and former Union Minister Manish Tewari has written to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), K Sanjay Murthy, emphasising the urgent need for a comprehensive performance audit of the 24x7 Water Supply Project under the Smart City Mission, particularly the Manimajra pilot project here. In the letter, Tewari has stated that he wished to draw the CAG’s attention to the necessity of conducting a detailed performance audit of the 24/7 water supply scheme implemented under the Central Government’s Smart City Mission in Chandigarh. This project — supported by international agencies — has failed to deliver on its promises, raising serious concerns regarding financial prudence, implementation efficiency and governance accountability. Tewari mentions that Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) was assigned several projects, including a key 24/7 pressurised clean water supply initiative with an estimated total cost of Rs 591.57 crore. In 2016, Chandigarh signed an agreement with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a public international financial institution, for cooperation in water supply, sanitation and waste management. Under this framework, the detailed project report (DPR) for the citywide 24/7 water supply project was approved by the Municipal Corporation (MC) of Chandigarh in December 2019. Later in December 2022, the MC signed another agreement for the phased replacement of 270-km water supply pipelines and coverage of 55 FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Admn mulls increasing Mayor’s tenure to 5 yrs PANCHKULA Run for Unity: The event to be organised in Panchkula on October 31 to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. School and college students, athletes, women and general public can participate in it. INBRIEF MAX 30°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 32.4°C | MIN 16.7°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 6.33 AM /THETRIBUNECHD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sec 70, 78, Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com MAINLY CLEAR SUNSET MONDAY 5.40 PM » MONDAY | 27 OCTOBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Panchkula, October 26 The police have arrested four youths for robbing an auto-rickshaw driver on the night of October 21. The ACP (Crime), Arvind Kamboj, said the victim had reported that on the night of October 21, while travelling to Budhanpur to meet his uncle, a group of youths stopped him. They assaulted him with a knife and robbed him of Rs 4,500. Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch staff arrested Pritam, alias Golu (18); Niranjan, alias Malta (21); and Shivam (19), all residents of Budhanpur; and Anshu (18) of Indira Colony. The stolen cash and the knife used in the crime were recovered from them. All four accused were produced before the court on October 25 and remanded in judicial custody. Chandigarh, October 26 The State Election Commission is gearing up for the delimitation process of wards early next year. The elections for all 35 wards of the MC are slated for December next year. According to officials, the delimitation exercise is required in view of the demolition of several slum clusters across the city. Residents of these “jhuggis” have shifted to other areas, prompting the need to revise the ward limits. “These colonies will now be excluded from the respective wards,” said an official, adding that the total number of wards will remain unchanged at 35. The commission will also revise the reservation of wards for women and Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates as part of the exercise. THE TRIGGER According to officials, the delimitation exercise is required in view of the demolition of several slum clusters across the city. Residents of these “jhuggis” have shifted to other areas, prompting the need to revise the ward limits. During the last MC elections in 2021, 16 wards were reserved for women and SC candidates. After a draw of lots conducted by the State Election Commission in October 2021, ward numbers 7, 24, 26 and 31 were reserved for SC candidates, while 16, 19 and 28 were reserved for women belonging to the SC category. Nine other wards — 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 18, 22 and 23 — were earmarked for women in the general category. Following the merger of 13 villages with the MC in December 2018, the boundaries of several wards were altered. Ward number 10, was a totally failed system. It gives little time for the Mayor to work on his ideas. Since the formation of the Municipal Corporation, the city has witnessed over 30 mayors. There is a need to formulate a consensus on the issue. The MP is also in favour of a system, under which a properly empowered “Mayor in Council” is directly elected by all electorate for a comprising Sectors 27, 28 and 29, was reserved for a woman candidate (general category). Earlier, Sectors 27, 28 and 30 were part of ward number 18. Similarly, ward number 16, covering Sectors 20 and 33, was redesignated as ward number 18 and reserved for a woman (general category). Ward number 7— comprising Maloya, EWS Colony, Maloya, Sector 39 (West) and the grain market — was renumbered as ward 28 and reserved for a woman (SC) candidate. After the revision of ward numbers 4, 5 and 6 in Mani Majra, the area was reserved for women candidates (general category). In the 2021 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), contesting for the first time, emerged as the single largest party, winning 14 of the 35 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 12 wards, while the Congress won eight and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) managed just one. 24x7 control room at Sec 42 lake for Chhath Puja Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 26 Chief Engineer CB Ojha, along with officers of the Engineering Department, today inspected the Sector 42 lake to ensure all arrangements were in place for the ongoing Chhath Puja festival. Key works completed at the lake include the installation of CCTV cameras and the establishment of a 24x7 control room to maintain vigil during the key ritual of the festival. Adequate lighting arrangements with power backup have been put in place to ensure uninterrupted supply. The bridge at the lake has been repaired and painted and the entire premises thor- c m y b oughly cleaned. Proper parking facilities have also been set up for the convenience of devotees and the general public. Rajendra Singh, chairman; DK Singh, president; and UK Singh, senior vice-president, of the Purvanchal Welfare Association, Chandigarh, along with Chanderma Mishra, co-convener, BJP Purvanchal Prakoshth Punjab, expressed their gratitude to UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria for his visionary guidance that ensured timely execution of all arrangements. The association also appreciated the efforts of the Engineering Department for completing the necessary works at the lake. The Sector 42 lake all decked up for Chhath Puja on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI