26052026-CT-01.qxd 5/26/2026 12:53 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune A THEATRICAL TRIBUTE TO BHAGAT SINGH & COMRADES PU TO OBSERVE 'VEHICLE-FREE DAY' EVERY WEDNESDAY RANDEEP WAS ONLY CHOICE FOR WEB SERIES: DIRECTOR Asmita Theatre Group’s ‘Pagdi Sambhal Jatta’ revisits revolutionary fervour of freedom struggle. P3 The university will form a task force to encourage the ‘save fuel’ campaign on its campus. P3 Neeraj Pathak speaks on casting, cop culture & balancing realism with massy appeal of Inspector Avinash. P4 » » Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Cops and polling staff leave for their respective stations from a school in Mohali on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY PANCHKULA 166 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 29 and 56, & Dhanas Mohali: Sec 68, 71 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 7am to 9 am: Parts of Sector 25, PU campus 9 am to 12 noon: Parts Dhanas INBRIEF ONE ARRESTED FOR GAMBLING Chandigarh: Mohammad Abrar was caught gambling near the dispensary in Sector 56. The police seized Rs 2,150 from him. He was arrested under Sections 13A, 3 and 67 of the Gambling Act and later released on bail. TNS THREE BOOKED FOR ASSAULT CBI gets 3-day remand of Smart City firm’s ex-officer Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 25 The CBI Court has granted the investigation agency three-day remand of Nalini Malik, former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Smart City Company Limited, who was arrested in Rs 116-crore Smart City fund scam in IDFC First Bank. The CBI sought her remand after taking over investigation in the case on the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Initially, the FIR was registered at economic offences police station, Sector 17, Chandigarh. ~116-CR SCAM The CBI claimed that during investigation, substantial incriminating material had surfaced against Nalini, indicating her active involvement in the opening and operation of undisclosed bank accounts of the CSCL, facilitation of unauthorised diversion of huge public funds to shell entities and receipt of pecuniary benefits/cash consideration there from. The CBI said her interrogation was also essential to further the probe, unearth a larger conspiracy and to bring other masterminds of this conspiracy to justice. The counsel appearing for Nalini, while opposing her remand, argued that the accused had already undergone four-day custody with the Chandigarh Police right after her arrest on April 2. After the interrogation by the police, nothing was left to be extracted through her custodial interrogation. The counsel also argued that the accused was not in good health. During her judicial custody, she had been admitted to a hospital. After hearing the arguments, the court sent her to CBI custody till May 28. Chandigarh, May 25 In view of a large number of representations being received from time to time regarding regularisation of changes made in houses, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has decided to keep its demolition drive in abeyance till the finalisation of the recommendations of a committee. The UT Administration had constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Executive Officer, CHB, on May 11 to review and recommend need-based changes in CHB dwelling units. The committee was told to submit its report within two weeks. The CHB had launched a crackdown on illegal structures in April on the basis of the notices issued against illegal constructions and encroachment on the government land, but halted it after protest from residents and political parties. The committee will assess changes carried out by allottees in their dwelling units, identify permissible changes, compliance with the Supreme Court directions issued on January 10, 2023, and recommend the changes that can be allowed subject to the condition that there is no compromise with the structural stability, fire safety, light and ventilation etc. In January this year, the UT Administration had constituted an 11-member committee to review the policy on need-based changes notified on January 3, 2023. The notification had superseded all previous orders related to need-based changes in CHB dwelling units. It was put on hold following the SC order on January 10, 2023. The apex court directed that the Chandigarh Administration shall freeze the floor area ratio (FAR) and shall not increase it any further. The committee recom- Chandigarh: The police have booked Abhishek, Sahil, Naveen and others for allegedly assaulting Karan Sharma with sticks and weapons near the Tribune Chowk. The victim sustained injuries and was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. A case under has been registered. TNS mended that the policy be implemented with certain exclusions. Out of the 28 clauses in the 2023 policy, the committee dropped four. However, the house owners have been opposing the January 2023 notification, claiming it has reversed previous relaxations and categorised these as violations. The CHB allottees have demanded the withdrawal of the policy and the provision of a comprehensive alternative. Over the past four decades, the CHB has constructed around 68,000 flats of various categories, with nearly 80% having some form of structural alteration. 2,790 ~1,380CR forest trees to be felled along the 19.2-km bypass corridor bypass work awarded to RKCPL Limited with two-year deadline On compensatory afforestation, the tree loss is far more than offset by what has been planned: 27,770 trees under statutory compensatory afforestation schemes, 12,000 trees as avenue plantation along the bypass, and 7,992 shrubs within the corridor — totalling over 47,000 plantings against approximately 2,790 trees to be felled, a ratio of more than 10 times. The requisite funds for compensatory afforestation and net present value (NPV) have already been deposited with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Ceigall Infra Projects Pvt Ltd to build ~603-crore spur in 18 months Change. The Bypass has been designed as an elevated corridor through forested stretches, specifically to minimise the number of trees that need to be cut. Post-construction greenery restoration, including plantation beneath elevated sections, is part of the project’s environmental plan. WHY THIS PROJECT CANNOT WAIT Zirakpur is the single most choked junction in the entire Tricity. Every vehicle heading from Delhi, Ambala or Patiala toward Panchkula, Shimla, Baddi or Chandigarh must CHANDIGARH SIZZLES AT 42.7°C People cover their heads to protect themselves from scorching sun in Zirakpur. RAVI KUMAR c m y b Chandigarh, May 25 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted widespread rain and thunderstorm from Friday onwards. Chandigarh on Monday recorded a maximum temperature of 42.7°C — three degrees above normal and 1.8 notches higher than Sunday — making it the second warmest station in Punjab after Bathinda, which logged 44.7°C. The city’s minimum temperature settled at 24.2°C, marginally 1.3°C below normal. Relative humidity ranged between a parched 16 per cent and 51 per cent crawl through its congested urban grid — a town whose narrow roads carry the load of a national highway interchange. The proposed bypass, with its 6.195-km elevated section, multiple flyovers and a railway overbridge, will create a dedicated six-lane corridor that allows all traffic to leapfrog Zirakpur and Panchkula city entirely — dramatically cutting travel time and emissions, and ending the daily snarl-ups on NH-44, NH-205A and NH152. There is a strategic dimension too. The bypass originates near the Chandigarh Airport, which doubles as an Indian Air Force Station, and terminates at Chandimandir, Panchkula — the headquarters of the Western Command of the Indian Army. The corridor provides a congestion-free and access-controlled route for the rapid movement of defence personnel, equipment and logistics between two critical defence installations. Existing routes between these two establishments run through residential and commercial areas, with multiple traffic intersections that affect travel time and emergency response. REPEATED DELAYS This is not the first time the bypass has been stalled. Conceived in 2020, the project spent years waiting for forest clearances, land acquisition completions and bureaucratic approvals. The connecting 10.3-km spur — the last uncleared link in the 244-km Tricity Ring Road that ties the bypass to the AmbalaChandigarh Expressway — was approved by the Centre Continued on page 3 Firms in profit even amid global tensions: Tewari slams fuel price hike Woman dies as car driven by cop hits two-wheeler when Israel and the US struck Iran, the cumulative profit of the companies was Rs 19,470 crore, a jump of 40% over the previous fiscal in the same period.“When these OMCs have made super profits why is the price of petrol and diesel being increased every day in a creeping manner,” he asked. On Monday, the price of petrol in Chandigarh was Rs 98.12 per litre while that of diesel stood at Rs 86.09 per litre. “While the OMCs are making hay, people are being crushed under a repressive pricing regime. Is this governance?” Tewari asked. — TNS Chandigarh, May 25 A 60-year-old woman was killed when the two-wheeler, she was riding pillion, was hit by a car near the Sector 33-34 light point. The vehicle, bearing registration number CH01-GA-1246, was allegedly being driven rashly by a Punjab Police Head Constable. The victim has been identified as Kuldeep Kaur, a resident of Sector 56. She was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, but doctors declared her dead on arrival. The UT police have registered a case under Sections 281 and 106 of the BNS on a complaint filed by the victim’s husband, Balbir Singh. The accused, Kulwant Singh, is a resident of Khokhar village, Gurdaspur. He was arrested from the spot. According to Balbir, the couple was returning home after paying obeisance at Baba Balak Nath Temple in Sector 29. When they reached the Sector 33-34 light point, the car allegedly driven rashly by the Punjab Police Head Constable hit the two-wheeler from behind. Kuldeep fell off the two-wheeler and was run over by the vehicle. According to sources, numbers of the CH-01-GA series are specifically allotted to vehicles of police patrol and government officials. The police are investigating the matter. Chandigarh, May 25 Chandigarh MP and former Union Minister Manish Tewari on Monday questioned the oil companies’ decision to increase fuel prices once again, saying they have been making “super profits” even amid tense global geo-political situations. In a post on X, Tewari said, “State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) made whopping profits in FY 202526 . The three OMCs made a cumulative profit of Rs 77,280.65 crore, a 130% jump over FY 2024-25.” He said even in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal, Rain expected from Friday PURSE STOLEN FROM CAR Chandigarh: Monika Arora reported that a purse containing an Aadhaar card, documents and Rs 3,000 was stolen from her car parked outside Chitkara International School, Sector 25. After investigation, the police arrested Nikhil, a resident of Sector 25. TNS A total of 2,790 forest trees are proposed to be felled along the 19.2-km bypass corridor — a figure that appears to differ from the approximately 5,000 cited in the public interest litigation (PIL). The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has filed a detailed reply before the court in compliance with its directions. The NHAI’s position is that the project has already obtained all statutory clearances from the Environment Ministry required under forest laws — both Stage I and II Forest Clearances — and that the Wildlife Mitigation Plan for the corridor has been reviewed and vetted by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, ensuring an independent and professional assessment of the project’s ecological impact. Panel recommendations awaited, CHB puts demolition drive on hold Tribune News Service Days after clearing defence land hurdle, ~1,983-cr project hits environmental hurdle Chandigarh, May 25 Barely weeks after clearing a defence land hurdle, the 19.2km Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project has run into a legal trouble. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the felling of trees — including around 5,000 trees along the bypass corridor — in the entire state of Haryana without the court’s express permission, putting a question mark over the beginning of work on one of the key highway projects in the Tricity. The case is listed for hearing on Tuesday. WHAT NHAI SAYS 86 FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE HC stay on tree felling casts shadow on Zirakpur bypass THE TRIBUNE SPECIAL CHANDIGARH MAX 41°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 42.7°C | MIN 24.2°C SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:23 AM /THETRIBUNECHD All set for Mohali MC polls AIR QUALITY INDEX MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET TUESDAY 7.16 PM » TUESDAY | 26 MAY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST through the day. Mohali, meanwhile, continued to record the warmest night in Punjab, with its minimum temperature touching 27.5°C. NEXT 5 DAYS FOR TRICITY The Tricity faces two more days of fierce heat. Tuesday will see a maximum of 41°C with a minimum of 25°C, while Wednesday is forecast to be the hottest day of the current spell at 42°C, with a minimum of 24°C. Partly cloudy sky with the possibility of thunderstorm and light rain arrive from Thursday onwards. The maximum temperature will ease to 40°C. The mercury is forecast at 38°C on Friday and 37°C on Saturday, each day carrying the prospect of thunderstorm and light rain, offering meaningful respite after days of punishing heat. PEAK POWER DEMAND REACHES 406 MW IN UT The peak power demand in the city increased to 406 MW today. On weekend, the demand had dropped to 338 MW on Sunday and to 357 MW on Saturday. It had reached 415 MW on Thursday, the highest recorded so far in May. — TNS Tribune News Service