28042026-CT-01.qxd 4/28/2026 12:48 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune THUNDERSTORM LIKELY TO LASH TRICITY TODAY JATIN MOVES INTO SECOND ROUND OF AITA TOURNEY SAVOUR SIDDU DELICACIES AT SHIMLA’S HIMACHALI RASOI Met Department issues orange alert for two days. Chandigarh sizzles for fourth straight day. P3 Jatin Malvia of Madhya Pradesh faced a neck-and-neck competition from Haryana’s Aarav Kamboj. P3 Himachali Rasoi at Middle Bazaar in Shimla city is a must-visit restaurant for a delightful range of siddus. P4 » » 136 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD Own receipts at six-year peak THE TRIBUNE SPECIAL Record ~775-cr grant, ~390 cr own revenue, no fresh loans in 2025-26, closing balance swells 26 times to Nitin Jain Tribune News Service APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, & Dhanas Mohali: Sec 68, 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Mayor Saurabh Joshi welcomes President Droupadi Murmu during her brief halt at the Chandigarh airport on Monday. The President has gone to Shimla on a six-day visit. MC submits ~1,000-cr sewerage upgrade proposal to Centre Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service INBRIEF TWO ARRESTED WITH ILLICIT LIQUOR Chandigarh: The police arrested Sawan Kumar, a resident of Sector 38 (West), from EWS Colony in Maloya with 50 nips of illicit liquor. A case has been registered under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act. Later, the accused was released on bail. Ajay Galoth, a resident of Dadumajra, was also arrested with 54 nips of illicit liquor. TNS CASH STOLEN FROM SHOP Chandigarh: The Sector 17 police have registered a case on a complaint filed by Parveen Bansal. He reported that Rs 2.06 lakh and Aadhaar card were stolen from his shop. The case has been registered under Sections 305 and 331(4) of the BNS. TNS 8 in fray for P’kula mayoral election Tribune News Service Panchkula, April 27 Of the nine nominations filed for the Municipal Corporation mayor’s post, eight have been accepted after scrutiny. Similarly, 123 candidates filed nominations for ward members, of which 115 were accepted. The elections are scheduled to be held on May 10. 115 to contest posts of councillor The nomination papers for mayor and ward members were scrutinised at the MiniSecretariat in Sector 1 in the presence of Returning Officer Sanyam Garg and the General Observer nominated by D Suresh, from the state Election Commission. The Returning Officer stated that a checklist with all required forms was provided before the submission of nomination papers and candidates were informed about all formalities. He also stated that the scrutiny process was conducted with complete transparency and adherence to the rules and regulations, in accordance with the state election commission’s official guidelines. The last date for withdrawal of nominations has been fixed as April 28. Chandigarh, April 27 The Municipal Corporation has submitted two major proposals of over Rs 1,100 crore to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for the upgrade of sewerage and construction of a new integrated bus terminus in Manimajra. Sources said funds had been sought for the two projects under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF). The UCF is a Centrally sponsored scheme of the MoHUA, which is aimed at supporting urban projects through a competitive “challenge mode”. The scheme envisages a total investment of Rs 4 lakh crore in urban sector in the next five years, marking a paradigm shift in India’s urban development. Also seeks ~100 crore for new integrated bus terminus in Manimajra The MC has submitted that old sewer lines with a total length of 1,263 km were installed between 1950 and 1980. Due to limited sewagecarrying capacity, the existing sewerage system is facing problems such as accumulation of silt, cracks and leaks, which aggravate during the rainy season. These old pipes are also resulting in groundwater Finance panel approves ~14-crore works in city Chandigarh, April 27 The Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation, under the chairmanship of Mayor Saurabh Joshi, has approved 67 development works to be carried out at a cost of Rs 14.71 crore. The key approvals include the renovation of multiple community centres in Sectors 49, 41, 43 and 56; upgrade of markets in Sectors 7, 22, 37 and 38; installation and replacement of streetlights in Sectors 27 and 28. Major emphasis was laid on road and street infrastructure. Works were approved for laying paver blocks and footpaths across sectors and villages, including Attawa, Hallomajra and Mauli Jagran. The committee also sanctioned public health and sanitation works, including construc- tion and renovation of multiple public toilet blocks, strengthening of sewerage in EWS colonies and repairs at waterworks. Green initiatives include landscaping of parks and green belts, repair of fountains, development of open spaces among others. Additionally, projects like vending zones, footbridge reconstruction, fencing works and procurement of machinery were approved. The Mayor stated that these decisions reflected the MC’s commitment to holistic urban development, improved public infrastructure and enhanced quality of life for residents. The meeting was attended by MC Commissioner Amit Kumar and committee members Harjeet Sing, Jasbeer Singh Bunty, Kanwarjeet Singh. It focused on accelerating infrastructure development and enhancing civic amenities across the city. —TNS contamination and high maintenance burden. The MC gas suggested that the whole pipeline network should be revamped using the “trenchless” technology, which will cost over Rs 1,000 crore. The MC has also submitted a proposal to develop an integrated bus terminus in Manimajra at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The present bus stand has no connectivity with regional routes in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The sewerage network in the city was initially designed for a much smaller population. Over the years, the UT’s population has increased manifold, but the sewerage capacity has not been upgraded accordingly. Sources in the MC said the “trenchless” technology did not require any major digging for laying sewer lines. Chandigarh, April 27 A record grant-in-aid of Rs 775 crore — the highest in six years — released by the Chandigarh Administration, honouring UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria’s word to rescue the cash-strapped civic body from financial distress, has powered the Municipal Corporation (MC) to its strongest fiscal performance in 2025-26. The grant — Rs 215 crore more than what the MC received in each of the two preceding years — is the single biggest driver behind the civic body posting the highest figures across every major financial parameter in 2025-26: grant-in-aid, own receipts, total receipts and total expenditure. The findings are contained in a detailed accounts report submitted by MC Commissioner Amit Kumar to the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator. A copy of the report is with The Tribune. In a significant indicator of improved financial discipline, the MC did not obtain any fresh loan during 2025-26 — a sharp contrast to the Rs 56-crore borrowing from pension funds in 2024-25, which has been fully reimbursed in the current year itself. The civic body ended the year with a closing balance of Rs 32.21 crore as on March 31, 2026 — approximately 26 times the opening balance of Rs 1.24 crore as on April 1, 2025. The Chandigarh Administration released a grant-in-aid of Rs 775 crore to the MC in 2025-26 — the highest in six years and Rs 215 crore (38.39 Honing skills Chandigarh, April 27 Once again, a case of bomb threat aimed at spreading panic in the city has come to light. A threat call was received by the Police Control Room targeting the DC Office in Sector 17 and the Student Centre of Panjab University. The police and security agencies swung into action. Bomb and dog squads carried out search operations at both locations. According to police officials, no suspicious object was found. A cyber team has been engaged to trace the source of the threat call. Preliminary investigations suggested that the call might have been made by a mis- SIX-YEAR FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT (~IN CRORE) FY 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 Grant-in-aid 500 530 550 560 560 775 Own receipts 268.11 312.00 344.00 328.00 343.64 390.13 WE’VE DELIVERED: KATARIA I had given my word that the civic body would be put on a sound financial footing. The record grant-in-aid of ~775 crore released last year reflects the Administration’s firm commitment to the health and functioning of the MC. Gulab Chand Kataria, SUSTAINED PUSH: MC CHIEF A sustained push to maximise own receipts across all heads, strict control on avoidable expenditure, and the resolute decision to avoid any fresh borrowing this year have together delivered a marked improvement in our fiscal position. PUNJAB GOVERNOR & UT ADMINISTRATOR Amit Kumar, MC COMMISSIONER ❝ ❝ per cent) more than the Rs 560 crore received in 2024-25. For five successive years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the GIA had remained stagnant in the range of Rs 500 crore to Rs 560 crore — Rs 500 crore in 2020-21, Rs 530 crore in 2021- 22, Rs 550 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 560 crore each in 202324 and 2024-25. The substantial jump in 2025-26 is seen as a major policy intervention by Administrator Kataria to arrest the civic body’s slide into financial uncertainty. Water supply, garbage collection top earners Among 11 heads of own receipts, water charges and garbage collection remained the top earner, touching Rs 188.54 crore in 2025-26 — the highest in six years — up from Rs 177.10 crore in 202425. Property tax (commercial) surged to Rs 56.46 crore from Rs 42.88 crore, while residential property tax jumped to Rs 31.45 crore from Rs 22.17 crore, reflecting improved collection effort and coverage. However, three of the 11 heads of own receipts registered a decline in 2025-26 compared to the previous year. Electrical municipal tax — levied on electricity bills — slipped to Rs 19.10 crore from Rs 19.79 crore. The road head — covering road cut charges, rent from mobile towers and Apni Mandis — fell to Rs 8.64 crore from Rs 10.40 crore. Parking revenue — comprising rent from taxi stands and cable networks — declined to Rs 16.03 crore from Rs 17.80 crore. Highest expenditure in 6 yrs Total expenditure in 2025-26 stood at Rs 1,134.16 crore — the highest in six years and Rs 165.88 crore (17.13 per cent) continued on page 2 Bench to hear arguments on interim order on Thursday Tribune News Service Arshdeep Singh practises ahead of Punjab Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals, at Mullanpur on Monday. VICKY c m y b Expenditure 710.61 760.30 943.25 1,005.82 968.28 1,134.16 SOURCE: MC Saurabh Malik chievous element. However, the police are investigating the matter from every angle. On January 28, at least 30 schools received bomb threats via email, causing chaos across the city. The next day, the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Sector 1 received a similar threat. On February 6, the District Courts Complex in Total receipts 768.11 842.00 894.00 888.00 903.64 1,165.13 The MC’s own receipts rose to Rs 390.13 crore in 2025-26 — the highest since the six-year series began in 2020-21 and an increase of Rs 46.49 crore (13.52 per cent) over Rs 343.64 crore in 2024-25. Combined with the grant-in-aid, total receipts reached Rs 1,165.13 crore — again a six-year high — up Rs 261.49 crore (28.93 per cent) over Rs 903.64 crore the previous year. Don’t cut trees till verdict on Tribune flyover plea, HC urged Bomb threat at DC office, university Aanavi Singh Arya ~32.21 cr PARDEEP TEWARI WHAT’S ON FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Chandigarh MC finances strongest in six years 73 PANCHKULA SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.42 AM /THETRIBUNECHD President’s brief halt CHANDIGARH MAX 39°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 40.2°C | MIN 20.8°C Sector 43 was targeted. On February 19, threats were once again issued to the Punjab Secretariat and the District Courts Complex. On March 2, just before Holi, a bomb threat email was received by the Regional Passport Office. Several schools reported such threats on April 16. (The writer is an intern with The Tribune) Chandigarh, April 27 After several rounds of hearing over the past months, where the Punjab and Haryana High Court was taken through Chandigarh’s Master Plan to assert that flyovers were never envisioned in a city designed for walkers and cyclists, the matter returned on Monday with a pointed plea for interim protection against tree felling and the tendering process. Assisting the Bench in the matter, advocate Tanu Bedi pressed for a limited interim relief, urging the court to restrain authorities from cutting trees and to make any tender process subject to the outcome of the petition. “Till the matter is decided, please don’t cut the trees. And if any tender is allotted, that should be subject to the outcome of this petition,” she submitted. Reiterating arguments earlier advanced, the counsel pointed to the city’s master plan to contend that flyovers were never envisaged for Chandigarh, conceived as a space prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and green cover. “We have read the most important chapters of the master plan showing why flyovers were not recommended… Chandigarh city is meant for pedestrians and cyclists to retain its green character,” she argued, FILE AIR QUALITY INDEX PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET TUESDAY 6.58 PM » TUESDAY | 28 APRIL 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST adding that the project risked making the city “hostage to public or private vehicles”. Referring to developments after earlier hearings, she told the Bench, headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, that newspaper reports had been placed on record to show that the authorities were proceeding with the project. The Bench, however, indicated that the matter required detailed consideration and could not be finally addressed on a short date meant for interim directions. During the hearing, Chief Justice Nagu observed: “The impression that we are getting is that you are getting too personally involved in this case. You should not.” The Chief Justice added: “I do realise the importance of the heritage concept and all those things….” The Bench, during the course of the hearing, observed that the court had already banned tree felling, unless permitted by the Bench. Bedi, in return, submitted that the ban applied to Punjab and Haryana. She argued that the issue was about the clean city. “It’s about Chandigarh — the only city where the moment we enter, we heave a sigh of relief that we are back. That sigh is being taken away from us,” she said. Bedi requested that the matter be taken up later in the week after expressing her inability to assist the court on Tuesday on health grounds, while still reiterating the urgency of interim protection. Taking note of the submissions, the Bench ordered that the case be listed for hearing of remaining arguments on Thursday, leaving the question of interim protection to be considered alongside the substantive challenge. The UT Administration was assisted in the matter by senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji.