13032026-CT-01.qxd 3/13/2026 12:53 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune HARYANA GUV CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY AT OLD AGE HOME AMAN TAKES A FOUR-SHOT LEAD OVER BHULLAR FROM LEADING LADIES TO PRODUCERS Haryana Governor Prof Ashim Kumar Ghosh celebrates his birthday with old age home inmates. P2 Aman Raj puts himself ahead of Gaganjeet Bhullar on second day of Indian Golf Premier League. P2 From Shehnaaz Gill to Deepika, woman actors are building production houses and backing stories that matter. P3 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 118 PANCHKULA 45 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 24 and 46 Panchkula: Sector 20 Mohali: Sector 68 and Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com MAX 31°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 33.6°C | MIN 16.6°C SUNRISE SATURDAY 6.34 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Commercial LPG shortage shrinks eatery menus in UT PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET FRIDAY 6.29 PM » FRIDAY | 13 MARCH 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Why long queues if supply normal? Aanavi Singh Arya Chandigarh, March 12 Despite consistent reports of “normal” inventory levels from oil marketing companies, local gas agencies are witnessing an unusual surge in consumers visiting their offices. While there are concerns of a shortage, the ground reality suggests the problem is a series of administrative and digital bottlenecks. Hundreds of consumers in the queues are those to whom companies have sent DAC (delivery authentication code) on their mobile phones. Many have already made advance payment, but they are not getting refills. These people are going to godowns and gas agencies to enquire about the status of their bookings. At the centre of the congestion is the ongoing eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) drive. Many consumers with pending eKYC have found their refill requests paused. When they reach agencies to resolve the pending status, they are asked to fulfil eKYC formalities on the spot, inadvertently joining queues with those who have already booked. This creates a visual of a supply crisis that the actual data does not support. Gurpreet Singh, manager at Indane Bhatia Gas Centre, Sector 20-D, noted that a “server glitch” was primarily making things worse by cre- ating confusion and apprehension. “The problem is a server issue where people aren’t receiving confirmation messages. Because of this, they bring their queries directly to the godown.” He further noted that many have come before their 25 day booking limit due to panic, even if they have functioning cylinders at home. A representative of the HP Gas agency in Sector 25 attributed the booking difficulties to a temporary, India-wide server rush. “People are worried they won’t get their cylinders. Those who already have one want to get an extra one filled and keep it just in case. That’s why there’s panic Continued on page 2 Domestic supply hit in Panchkula Tribune News Service Zirakpur cops seize 275 cases of UT liquor Tribune News Service Zirakpur, Mohali 12 In a crackdown on the illegal liquor trade, the Zirakpur police seized 275 cases of English liquor being smuggled from Chandigarh in a truck late last night. The police have arrested the driver and registered a case under the Excise Act. The police had received secret information that a large consignment of liquor was being transported from Chandigarh to be sold in other states at a higher profit. Acting on the tip-off, a team led by Sub-Inspector Jivan Singh set up a special barricade near the McDonald’s Chowk on the ChandigarhAmbala highway. During the checking, the police signaled a truck to stop. Its search led to the recovery of 275 cases of liquor marked “For Sale in Chandigarh Only”. The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was immediately taken into custody. SI Jivan Singh said, “We received a specific input that liquor contractors in Chandigarh are smuggling stock meant for the Union Territory into neighbouring states to make easy profit. Since liquor is cheaper in Chandigarh compared to Punjab and other areas, these smugglers try to bypass the law for financial gain.” Home delivery not done, residents queue up to get their booked cylinders at a gas agency in Sector 25 on Thursday. PARDEEP TEWARI Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 A sudden reduction in the supply of commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders has started affecting the hospitality sector in the city, forcing hotels, clubs and restaurants to curtail menus to keep operations running. Restaurant owners said a sharp drop in the supply of commercial cylinders over the past few days created uncertainty for day-to-day kitchen operations. The impact is already visible at major establishments in the city. A restaurant owner said they had implemented temporary restrictions to manage the reduced supply of gas and might have to alter their cooking methods if the situation continued. However, the hospitality industry has sought clarity from the authorities regarding the timeline for restoration of normal supplies. Ankit Gupta, president of the Chandigarh Hospitality Association, said prolonged disruption could affect the business. “If the present war scenario continues, the UT Administration should issue a clear statement on when regular commercial LPG supplies will begin, as prolonged disruption could lead to significant losses,” Gupta said. Officials from oil marketing companies, however, maintained that the shortage is limited to commercial LPG distribution and that domestic supplies remains unaffected. A gas agency owner stated that domestic cylinders were being delivered through the normal booking process. Consumers only needed to place bookings through the normal procedure. Once booked, the cylinder would be delivered as per the regular supply cycle, he added. A senior official said the sudden rush for cylinders appears to be driven partly by panic buying among residents. He explained that while domestic LPG supply remained stable, the reduction in commercial cylinder distribution was part of a nationwide supply adjustment, with priority currently being given to essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions. Panchkula, March 12 Cooking arrangements across Panchkula have been affected due to disruptions in LPG supply, with commercial users reporting shortages and residents facing delays in domestic cylinder deliveries. Several residents said earlier domestic LPG cylinders were delivered the next day after booking, but deliveries were now taking four to five days. The shortage has hit commercial users more severely. Supply of commercial LPG cylinders to community kitchens at the Mata Mansa Devi Temple has been suspended, with authorities prioritising hospitals and schools. Amit Jain, president of People taking filled cylinders from a vendor in Panchkula. RAVI KUMAR Mansa Devi Charitable Bhandara Commitee, said due to gas shortage, bhandara committees had stopped preparing rotis. “We will continue serving kadhi–rice and dal–rice, and food that can be prepared by boiling,” he said, adding that community kitchens outside hospitals would continue to provide meals to patients and attendants. Jatin Mittal, District Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Continued on page 2 Now, ~75-crore fraud Record of bank entries received, 3 juveniles booked over in CREST accounts police start probing money trail tree felling in Dera Bassi Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 The Economic Offences Police Station (EOPS), Sector 17, today registered a case following the detection of massive financial irregularities in IDFC First Bank accounts of the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST), a body functioning under the UT Administration. According to police officials, the case was registered on the complaint of the Project Director of CREST on behalf of its Chief Executive Officer. In the complaint, it was alleged that unauthorised withdrawals and deposits were made in the society’s bank accounts maintained at a branch of IDFC First Bank located in Sector 32. Abhay Kumar, Seema Dhiman and Ribhav Rishi, all employees of the bank, along with other unidentified individuals, have been named in the FIR registered under Sections 316(5), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police said during the Continued on page 2 ~116 CR SCAM WITH MC Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 In a major development in the ongoing investigation into the alleged scam of over Rs 116 crore surfaced in the Municipal Corporation, the police have received the entire bank transaction record related to the amount siphoned off. After receiving voluminous records from IDFC First Bank, the police have also started probing the amount transferred to two firms. They are also probing three payment entries to the tune of Rs 8.22 crore made in their accounts on April 11, 2025, and September 1, 2025. In its complaint to the police, the MC had raised suspicious over these transactions. The MC had stated that a scrutiny of the bank statement received on February 24 revealed that these entries had no corresponding reflection in the civic body records. The entries appeared suspicious and required detailed investigation, the MC had stated. As per the complaint, these payments were made to two firms. After a similar scam came to light in Haryana, MC officials approached IDFC First Bank, Sector 32, requesting encashment of its fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) of over Rs 116 crores, which were prepared from the amount shifted at the time of closure of Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) in March 2025. After the firm was closed, its assets, records and financial matters were transferred to the MC. The CSCL had maintained multiple bank accounts in IDFC First Bank for its operational transactions. Tribune News Service Mohali, March 12 More than two dozen trees have reportedly been felled in front of a commercial plot opposite Indus International Hospital along the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway. District Forest Officer Amneet Singh has suspended a forest guard till the investigation into the matter concluded. Dera Bassi SHO Sumit Mor said, “Three minors have been booked for cutting 25-30 trees after a complaint was received from toll employees.” Ten trees were cut first and another ten after a few days. A purported recording of a forest guard is being probed in which he is allegedly making claims of money involved. Environmentalists have raised concerns over the repeated cutting down of green trees on the roadside without permission. People said large-scale cutting of trees was going on unabated in the Dera Bassi area even though there had been an alarming rise in air pollution due to industrial units in the area. Forest Department block officer Jai Singh said action would be taken against those found guilty in the probe. Animals at new SPCA facility denied proper nutrition Give ownership rights to rehab Dogs get less than two eggs a day, society admits in HC colony dwellers, says MP Tewari Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 12 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday heard a damning account of the state of animals at Chandigarh’s new SPCA facility in Sector 38 West. SPCA doctors conceded before Justice Alka Sarin that the nutritional requirements of nearly 47 dogs housed at the shelter were not being met. As per their submissions, the dogs were being given fewer than two eggs each per day, against a medically established requirement of four to five per adult dog of average weight. The Tribune has been exclusively highlighting the crisis since February 23, tracking every development — from a pregnant dog’s harrowing confinement at the old Raipur Kalan shelter, to the court-ordered shifting of animals to the new SPCA facility, to documented neglect at the brand-new shelter, and now to the admissions before the court that even the most basic nutritional standards are not being maintained. The court was also informed that SPCA employees had not been paid their salaries for months — a fact the Local Commissioner, advocate Shruti Sharma, had flagged verbally when the matter was taken up on Tuesday. Unpaid staff, she told the court, were not reporting for duty and had been neglecting the animals as a consequence. The Chandigarh Administration submitted copies of two release orders — one dated May 8, 2025, sanctioning Rs 50 lakh as financial assistance to the SPCA, and a second dated November 13, 2025, releasing a further Rs 70 lakh. The counsel for the Administration contended that once the funds were released, it was for the SPCA to have disbursed salaries from these amounts. The counsel for the SPCA — respondent No. 2 — acknowledged that there had been administrative issues in the release of salaries, but informed the court that salaries for January this year had now been paid, and that of February would be released within a day or two. Nutrition shocker On a query by the court about the dietary requirements of the dogs at the facility, veterinarians Dr Prateek Balana and Dr Gaurav Lakhanpal — both present in court — confirmed that an average dog weighing around 20 kg requires 150 gm of protein per day, effectively translating to four to five eggs daily. However, the doctors admitted that only 45 to 47 eggs were being mixed into the entire morning feed and 45 to 47 eggs into the entire evening feed — a total of roughly 90 to 94 eggs split among approximately 47 dogs, which works out to barely two eggs per dog per day. The court noted that even by the doctors’ own account, the nutritional requirement of the dogs was not being met. The court directed the SPCA to file an affidavit detailing the steps it proposes c m y b to take to meet the nutritional requirements of the animals. Local Commissioner’s report Tribune News Service A detailed report of Local Commissioner advocate Shruti Sharma, appointed by the court on March 10 after The Tribune’s reporting prompted judicial intervention, was formally taken on record on Wednesday. The report was accompanied by photographs, including one showing two bowls containing what appeared to be yellow and white liquids, and another showing injured dogs at the facility. Since petitioners expressed apprehension about the functioning of the SPCA and the manner in which animals were being kept, they sought access to CCTV footage. The counsel for the SPCA objected, arguing it could create Continued on page 2 Chandigarh, March 12 There is an “urgent need” to grant ownership rights to residents of rehabilitation colonies without further delay. This was stated by MP Manish Tewari during a meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council (AAC) here today. During the meeting, the MP highlighted several pressing issues. He asserted that needbased modifications in Chandigarh Housing Board residential buildings must be permitted without delay, adding that “the issuance of frivolous notices must come to an end”. He emphasised that Lal Dora in the 22 villages should be erased without delay. He also stressed that sharewise sale of property across At Administrator’s Advisory Council meet, also bats for share-wise property registration Chandigarh must be resumed immediately. “The issues and challenges of cooperative housing and group housing societies must be addressed with dispatch,” the MP said. The meeting was chaired by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, who emphasised that building a future-ready Chandigarh required collective efforts from both the Administration and members of the council. He appreciated the active role played by the Standing Committees in assisting the Administration in strengthening governance and improving public services across various sectors. Tewari also said a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Chandigarh should be implemented at the earliest. He stressed that the governance structure of the Municipal Corporation must be radically overhauled. “Also, the Chandigarh Mayor should be elected directly by all residents for a five-year term,” he said. Senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon urged the Administration to allow employees of Chandigarh Transport Undertaking to rejoin their duties at the earliest. He also called for the early resumption of sharewise property transfers, early decisions on issues related to Lal Dora areas, problems Continued on page 2