24022026-CT-01.qxd 2/24/2026 1:24 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune HEAPS OF C&D WASTE TURN P’KULA SECTORS INTO EYESORE WOMAN MURDERED IN SEC 36, ACCUSED ARRESTED MANIPURI FILM BOONG INDIA’S FIRST WIN AT BAFTA Residents flag dumping in Sector 26 and along the stretch connecting NH7 to Sector 32. P2 Cops arrest 28-year-old man within hours after he stabbed woman to death in a public park. P3 Lakshmipriya Devi makes history, Dharmendra remembered & Indian designs dazzle at event. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 145 PANCHKULA 46 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, and Dhanas Panchkula: Sector 15 Mohali: Sectors 68 and 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Caged for 60 days, MC shelter dog eats its young Canine house nodal officer refuses to visit site despite repeated calls, claim animal activists Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 23 A shocking case of alleged institutional negligence and animal cruelty has surfaced at a Municipal Corporation-run dog shelter here. A pregnant stray dog — illegally confined for nearly 60 days — reportedly consumed one of her puppies and partially devoured another, which was still alive at the time the matter came to light. The incident, which was noticed around 5 pm, was first formally flagged by animal activist and prime complainant Saarthak Jain, whose intervention drew nearly 15 animal welfare volunteers to the facility, triggering a standoff with municipal authorities that lasted close to five hours. According to Saarthak Jain, the rules governing MC dog shelters stipulate a maximum confinement period of three days for any dog brought into the facility. The female dog at the centre of this controversy had, however, been kept caged for approximately 60 Video grabs of Saarthak Jain, an animal activist, who flagged the incident; and (right) the dog with its puppies. days — twenty times the permissible limit. During this prolonged and unlawful detention, the dog got pregnant and delivered puppies inside the cage. Jain and fellow volunteers allege that extreme stress, inadequate feeding, poor monitoring and the relentlessly confined environment pushed the canine to a point of severe psychological and physical distress, ultimately causing her to consume one puppy the previous day. A second puppy was partially consumed today; volunteers present at the scene confirmed the second puppy was alive when the incident came to light. Volunteers have held Dr Gaurav, the designated Nodal Officer of the Municipal Corporation overseeing the shelter’s administration, responsible for the oversight. According to Saarthak Jain, Dr Gaurav was alerted to the crisis through multiple channels — including calls from police personnel responding to a dial-112 complaint, from volunteers on the ground, and from members of his own staff. Despite this, the officer allegedly refused to come to the site. When volunteers arrived and began seeking answers, they found no municipal employee present at the facility whatsoever. Jain further revealed that during night hours, the shelter operates with only a caretaker and a security guard on duty, with no designated official from the Municipal Corporation responsible for oversight — a glaring administrative vacuum that volunteers say made this tragedy inevitable. Saarthak Jain, along with fellow activists Meenakshi Malik, Monica, Mohan, Aryan and approximately 10 other volunteers, remained stationed at the facility. They sought immediate answers to three core questions: Why was the dog held for 60 days in violation of the three-day rule? Why MAX 27°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 27.2°C | MIN 11.6°C SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:53 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Nitin Jain MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET TUESDAY 6:17 PM » TUESDAY | 24 FEBRUARY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST was no municipal employee present on the premises when the crisis unfolded? What conditions and decisions drove the mother dog to such a state of extreme distress? After waiting nearly five hours, not a single official representative from the MC appeared to address their concerns. The matter has since been formally escalated through police intervention. The female dog remains confined at the shelter. Saarthak Jain and the volunteers have demanded care of the canine, an independent inquiry into the administration of the facility, and strict accountability for the officials responsible — beginning with the nodal officer. “This is not just cruelty — this is institutional failure,” Jain said. “A living, pregnant animal was locked away and forgotten. The system failed her completely,” he added. The Municipal Corporation and Dr Gaurav’s response could not be obtained at the time of filing of this report. AAP councillor Prem Lata joins Congress Tribune news service Chandigarh, February 23 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Prem Lata, along with AAP leaders — Kuldeep Kukki, Harjinder Baba and Yankee Kalia — today joined the Congress at the Chandigarh Congress Bhawan in Sector 35 here. Ritu Chhabra, wife of late Pradeep Chhabra, a senior Congress leader, who had joined AAP just before the last MC elections, also joined the Congress. Pradeep had been the Chandigarh congress president for seven years. Kuldeep Kukki, Harjinder Baba and Yankee Kalia had contested the last MC elections. City Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky, Congress national secretary, Chetan Chauhan, Panchkula MLA Chander Mohan were also present on the occasion. Lucky said impressed by the policies of the Congress, these leaders decided to join the party. He said the Congress would win all seats in the next MC election. While addressing the gathering, Prem Lata said AAP had helped the BJP win the Continued on page 2 POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sectors 19, 25, 27, 30, 42, Khuda Lahora, Khuda villages, Nirvana in Sector 49, Sector-32 waterworks, Raipur Khurd, and Burail 10 am to 3 pm: IMT Laboratory in Sector 39, Dadumajra 2 pm to 5 pm: Parts of Sector 23 and Raipur Khurd Marching with pride PHOTO: ANURAG SINGH, PU GERMAN DEPT STUDENT Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service 2.40 lakh pills seized, three youths held Tribune News Service Zirakpur, February 23 The police have arrested three youths, all native of Fazilka in Punjab, and recovered 2.40 lakh intoxicating pills from them in the Peermuchalla area. The accused have been identified as Anshul Kumar, Rajat Kumar and Raman Singh. Dhakoli SHO Simranjit Singh Shergill said, “Acting on a tip-off, the suspects were arrested and pills recovered from a flat. They were produced in the court and sent to police custody. All the accused have a criminal background, facing cases of gambling, NDPS Act and Excise Act.” Ownership rights likely for houses sold through GPA in Chandigarh Participants at a pride parade taken out from Panjab University to Sector 17. Chandigarh, February 23 Thousands of property holders are likely to get relief as the UT Administration is drafting a new policy for houses sold through the general power of attorney (GPA), will or related agreements. The move follows a fresh review of the Supreme Court judgment in a case dated November 2011. Senior officials confirmed that the Administration was examining the implications of the 2011 ruling and had sought legal advice from its legal representative regarding properties sold or occupied through GPA after the verdict. The proposed policy is expected to cover houses transferred on GPA, will or similar documents up to November 2011, while exploring solutions for transactions executed after that period. According to official estimates, more than 40,000 houses across various villages and colonies in the city Flats at Ram Darbar, Chandigarh, have been sold on the GPA. have been sold on GPA since November 2011. Areas such as Sectors 29, 30, 31, 38 West, Ramdarbar and Maloya have witnessed extensive GPA-based transactions. In colonies like Sector 29 and Sector 30, houses under the Chandigarh Housing Board and Estate Office — particularly in EWS and small flats categories — have reportedly been sold through GPA. Many of these properties have changed hands three to four times since 2011 without formal registration. If approved, the new policy will allow eligible homeowners to obtain legal ownership through proper registry. Officials believe the move will not only resolve long-pending legal complications, but also generate signifi- cant revenue for the Administration through registration charges and stamp duty. The proposed policy aims to regularise such properties, reduce legal disputes and provide rightful ownership to thousands of families. The Administration is expected to finalise the draft policy after receiving legal inputs in the coming weeks. Agricultural Marketing Board declares Sector 26 mandi no-vending zone Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 23 In a move to decongest the Sector 26 mandi, the State Agricultural Marketing Board, Chandigarh, has cancelled all permissions given by the Municipal Corporation to vendors to operate inside the mandi. As the civic body has failed to shift all vendors from the mandi to some other designated vending zones, they have challenged the decision of the Marketing Board before the Grievance Redressal and Disputes Resolution Committee of the MC. In their applications filed under Section 20 of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the vendors have sought the issuance of appropriate order or directions to the respondents to permit them to earn their livelihood by operating from a site identified in a survey in the mandi earlier. They have also prayed that they may be granted an interim relief by giving them permission to work as street vendors at the vending site till the disposal of the applications, so they are not be deprived of their livelihood. Meanwhile the market committee has requested Cancels all permissions given to vendors by MC to operate in area the Chandigarh SSP to initiate appropriate action against the illegal/unauthorised vendor. The committee has stated that vendors are operating stalls/rehris in the Sector 26 mandi, which creates not only obstructions to the public but also lead to traffic congestion and sanitation problems. These vendors are regularly removed by the enforcement staff of the committee. However, they again occupy the space after some time and also obstruct antiencroachment drives. The committee requested that the Sector 26 police be directed to immediately register cases against such vendors, upon receiving complaints from the committee office or from public. The encroachments and the sanitation issues are under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Market Committee is facing a PIL with the High Court taking suo motu notice of the Chandigarh Tribune news report dated July 24, 2025 — “Muddy Roads, heaps of c m y b rotten vegetables raise a stink at Sector 26 Mandi Chandigarh”. Suraj Kumar, a resident of Sector 7, said after the market committee removed the vendors, they had encroached on the roads around the mandi. These rehris lead to traffic chaos around the mandi every day, he said. After the High Court’s notices, the UT Administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, visited the mandi on December 15, 2025. During his visit, directions were issued that the mandi is a wholesale market, so all street vendors engaged in retail sales shall be shifted somewhere else. Vendors encroach on a public way in the Sector 26 mandi on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI