11122025-CT-01.qxd 12/11/2025 12:18 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CRORES SPENT, BUT ROADS, BRIDGES STILL INCOMPLETE CITY LADS WIN CRICKET GOLD AT SCHOOL NAT'LS IT’S DREAM COME TRUE FOR AMRITSAR GIRL ANEET PADDA Blame it on GMADA, the road and bridge network in New Chandigarh is far from satisfactory. P2 U-19 team defeat Punjab in a super over finish to win the 69th National School Games. P3 The World TV premiere of Amritsar girl Aneet Padda’s film Saiyaara on Sony MAX is on December 20. P4 » » CHANDIGARH 171 PANCHKULA 124 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Tells Parliament it never authorised coercive steps for installation of units Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH EXPO: National Silk Wool Expo; Kisan Bhawan, Sector 35; 11 am to 8 pm, daily till Dec 11 DANCE: Kathak duet by Muzaffar Mulla and Vidyagauri; Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector 35-B; 6 pm 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 Chandigarh, December 10 The Centre has informed Parliament that Chandigarh has reported the highest number of government buildings with rooftop solar (RTS) plants in the region, even as it categorically denied issuing any directions to compel residents to install the solar system through coercive measures such as threatening cancellation of property registrations or conveyance deeds. The clarification came in response to Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari’s unstarred question on the status of solar installations and alleged mandatory directives issued in the Union Territory. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s reply, as on October 31, 2025, Chandigarh reported RTS installations on 6,606 government buildings, with a total capacity of 52.825 MW, far exceeding Punjab’s 4,474 buildings (34 MW) and Haryana’s 241 buildings (4.82 MW). Nationwide, 619.78 MW of rooftop solar capacity has TEWARI SEEKS PROBE ❝ Now, the government says no such instructions were ever issued by the Administration that people’s land registrations would be cancelled if they do not install rooftop solar plants. Who had issued these arbitrary instructions? This should be probed, and the officers responsible must be held accountable. — Manish Tewari, CHANDIGARH MP ❞ been installed at 13,525 Central Government buildings. Responding to Tewari’s query on whether any authority had issued coercive instructions altering building bylaws or threatening residents with cancellation of registration deeds for not installing rooftop solar plants, the Centre stated that no such directions were ever issued by the Ministry to any state or UT administration. The MP reacting sharply to , the figures and the denial of coercive directives, called for an immediate inquiry to identify who in the UT Administration had circulat- POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 1 pm: Mauli Complex, Motor Market in Mani Majra 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sector 52 , Kajheri village 10 am to 4 pm: Parts of Sector 35 2 pm to 5 pm: Charan Singh Colony, Mauli village, Vikas Nagar, Raipur Kalan INBRIEF INDIGO FLIGHTS CANCELLED Mohali: Four IndiGo flight departures from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport here were cancelled on Wednesday. The flights to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbaii had to be cancelled. Airlines officials did not comment on the reasons for flight cancellation. TNS MONTHLY POWER BILLS FROM JAN Chandigarh: The power distribution firm is set to roll out a monthly billing cycle for all domestic and nonresidential consumers from January, replacing the bimonthly system. TNS PARRY MURDER CASE Man who arranged stolen Creta arrested Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 10 The UT police have made the first breakthrough in the Parry murder case with the arrest of a 40-year-old man. Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry, was shot dead in Sector 26 here on December 1. Today, a joint team of District Crime Cell and the Sector 26 police arrested Rahul Sharma, aged 40, a resident of Mandher Nagar, Kharar, from Sector 24 here. The police said Rahul, a drug addict, had provided the stolen Creta to the assailants on November 29. He travelled from Kharar to Ludhiana to make the delivery. He was produced before the court, which remanded him in fourday police custody. Officials confirmed that further investigation into the case was underway and more arrests were expected. Parry, a former associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was involved in multiple criminal cases, including charges under the Arms Act, extortion and assault. Despite reportedly attempting to leave crime and starting afresh after his marriage on November 13, Parry remained embroiled in gang rivalries. The Creta, fitted with counterfeit or cloned number plates, was found at Mansa Devi Complex (MDC) in Panchkula a day following the killing. Police are tracking phone and CCTV data, and trying to recover vehicles linked to the murder. One of the suspects is believed to be Piyush Piplani, a close associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and currently absconding in connection with the Sonu Naulta murder case. Naulta was shot dead near Amravati Enclave, Panchkula, in June this year. On her way to gurdwara, 72-yr-old dies in hit-&-run Tribune News Service Mohali, December 10 A 72-year-old woman died after being hit by a speeding vehicle on the Ambala-Chandigarh near Bhankharpur while on her way to a gurdwara this morning. The victim, Maan Kaur, a local resident, was crossing the highway to reach a gurdwara when a vehicle hit her and sped away. Passersby rushed the woman to the Dera Bassi subdivisional hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. A case of hit-and-run accident has been registered and an investigation started by the police. Meanwhile, local residents have criticised officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for not providing a pedestrian crossing at the highway near the gurdwara. Housing board begins demarcation of Sector 53 project land for auction Kataria had asked CHB to explore feasibility of selling part of site to pvt developers Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 10 The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has started the process to demarcate nearly half of the 21-acre chunk in Sector 53 for auctioning the site for group housing. Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria recently directed the CHB to explore the feasibility of dividing the piece of land into two pockets, of which one could be sold to private developers. Out of 21 acres, nearly 11 FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Chd tops region in solar plant initiative: Centre Nitin Jain WHAT’S ON MAX 25°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 25.4°C | MIN 8.7°C SUNRISE FRIDAY 7.09 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FILE PHOTO AIR QUALITY INDEX MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET THURSDAY 5.23 PM » THURSDAY | 11 DECEMBER 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST acres have been earmarked for a general housing scheme for employees of the UT Administration. The CHB has sought details of the remaining land from the Urban Planning Department so that it could be auctioned to private developers. On Sunday, the UT Administrator visited multiple key project sites across the city. Kataria inspected the IT Habitat project site at the IT Park, Manimajra (Pocket No. 6); Sanjay Colony in Industrial Area Phase-I; the government housing site in Sector 43, the Sub-City Centre in Sector 43, the Chandigarh Housing Board project land in Sector 53 and others. The focus of the inspection was on effectively utilising vacant and earmarked pieces of land for sustainable urban living and public welfare projects. Special attention was given to the 70-acre mixed-land use development at Sub-City Centre in Sector 43 and the reclaimed Furniture Market land in Sector 54 to ensure proper zoning, planned utilisation and future-ready development. While reviewing the housing project in Sector 43 for rental accommodation for government employees, the Governor directed officials to integrate essential service amenities in the final layout. He stressed that future residential projects must incorporate dedicated in-house allotment provisions for government employees to reduce reliance on housing rent allowances and enhance long-term administrative efficiency. c m y b ed such instructions last year. Speaking to The Tribune, he said: “It will be interesting to find out which are these 6,000-odd government buildings on which rooftop solar plants have been installed in Chandigarh. I am surprised that there even are 6,000-odd government buildings of the UT Administration in Chandigarh. Last year — October to December — the Chandigarh Administration was threatening residents that their land registrations would stand cancelled. Now, the government, especially the Ministry of Renewable Energy, categorically says no such instructions were ever issued by the Chandigarh Administration that people’s land registrations would be cancelled if they do not install rooftop solar plants. Who had issued these illegal, arbitrary and capricious instructions in a malicious exercise of power? This should be probed, and the officers responsible must be held accountable by the Governor of Punjab and Chandigarh Administration.” continued on page 2 ALL SET FOR T20 TODAY: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and coach Gautam Gambhir arrive at the Chandigarh airport on Wednesday, ahead of their T20 match against South Africa at Mullanpur in Mohali; and (right) South African player Quinton de Kock. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: RAVI KUMAR Take these routes to reach stadium FROM DAKSHIN MARG: Turn left from the MullanpurChandigarh barrier towards the Baddi-Kurali road. Near the Omaxe building, turn left from the Baddi-Kurali road and take PR-7 (Airport Road). From Airport Road, turn left towards the stadium road. Alternatively, turn left from the MullanpurChandigarh barrier and continue on the Baddi-Kurali road. Near Eco City 1 township, turn left and reach the stadium road via PR-6 road. FROM AIRPORT ROAD: People coming from the Baddi/Kurali road can drive straight on the PR-7 road and turn right towards the stadium road. If you are coming from the Kurali side, also turn right towards the stadium road. FROM PGI/MADHYA MARG: Drive straight towards the Baddi-Kurali road and turn left to get onto Airport Road. Then turn left towards the stadium road.