27072026-CT-01.qxd 7/27/2026 12:26 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune LAKSHYA, RANVEER BEST BOXERS IN KHELO CHD MEET HONOUR FOR PGI’S TOBACCO CONTROL RESOURCE CENTRE MASABA’S BRIDAL CREATIONS AT INDIA COUTURE WEEK Lakshya defeats Shourya to clinch U-14 category gold medal, Ranveer wins in U-17 age group. P3 Receives World Health Organisation Regional Director’s Special Recognition Award. P3 Designers Masaba Gupta and JJ Valaya present their distinct visions of Indian couture. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 35 PANCHKULA 46 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sector 26, Bapu Dham Colony 11.30 am to 4.30 pm: Sector 31 12 noon to 3 pm: Sector 8 AAP councillor Munawar joins Congress Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 26 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a setback today as its councillor Munawar joined the Congress along with his supporters. They were welcomed into the party by Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky. The joining ceremony was attended by several Congress councillors, senior leaders, office-bearers and a large number of local residents. Munawar was elected from Ward No. 29 (covering Sectors 55, 56 and adjoining areas), securing 6,187 votes and winning by a margin of nearly 3,000 votes. His induction is expected to strengthen the Congress’ position. Leaking roof, defunct escalators hassle visitors at UT rly station Project to make station world class has missed four deadlines Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 26 Rainwater seeped through the newly built roof over the platforms while escalators remained non-functional at Chandigarh railway station on Sunday, even as officials maintained that the Rs 462-crore redevelopment of the station is over 90 per cent complete. A visit to the station in the evening found passengers waiting near the lifts as water seeped through the roof. The entry and exit passages remained in poor condition and the parking area was not properly maintained. There were stray dogs on the premises, both inside and outside the station building. The redevelopment of the station, aimed at turning it into a world-class multimodal hub, has been going on for over three years and has missed four deadlines so far. The tender was floated in September 2022 and awarded in November 2022, with construction beginning in January 2023. Under the original contract, the work was to be completed within 15 months, setting April 10, 2024, as the first deadline. The project subsequently missed revised deadlines of December 31, 2024, October 31, 2025, and March 18, 2026. Officials associated with the project said the work was expected to be completed by October or November this year. They attributed the delay to the project being a brownfield one and the station remaining functional while redevelopment work continued. Structural work on the Chandigarh and Panchkula sides, the air concourse and the foot overbridges have been completed, while work on drainage and platform shelters is still in progress. TENDER FLOATED: Sept 2022 | TENDER AWARDED: Nov 2022 | CONSTRUCTION BEGAN: Jan 2023 FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH DEADLINE DEADLINE DEADLINE DEADLINE (15 months): April 10, 2024 December 31, 2024 October 31, 2025 March 18, 2026 MISSED MISSED MISSED MISSED EXPECTED COMPLETION October-November 2026 PHYSICAL PROGRESS CLAIMED Over 90 per cent COST ~462 CRORE Clockwise from above: Passengers walk beneath a leaking structure at the Chandigarh railway station on Sunday; a waterlogged road at the entrance; and people wait to board a train at a poorly maintained platform. TEWARI FLAGS TRAFFIC CHAOS Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari took to social media platform “X” today, describing the traffic situation outside the railway station as chaotic, with commuters taking nearly an hour and a half to cover the one-kilometre stretch from the Madhya Marg light point to the station. Many passengers miss their trains due to traffic chaos. Tewari said he had repeatedly flagged poor traffic arrangements to the Railway Protection Force and the Chandigarh Police, including DGP Sagar Preet Hooda, but “nothing is ever done and the mess becomes worse every day”. He urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to direct the authorities concerned to put in place proper traffic management arrangements at the station, and asked the Chandigarh Police chief to ensure coordination between the force and the RPF . Tewari said he had raised the issue in Parliament and in letters written to the Minister earlier as well. Responding to a question raised by the MP in the Lok Congress deserves post of LoP: Lucky Lucky claimed the Congress had become the second-largest party in the Municipal Corporation and therefore deserved the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP). He said a meeting of Congress councillors would soon be convened to finalise the party’s strategy and select its Leader of the Opposition. Sabha recently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said the structural works for the station buildings on both sides had been completed, while work on the parking, other components and platform upgrade was underway. Vaishnaw, along with Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, who has since resigned from the Council of Ministers, had reviewed the redevelopment work during a recent visit to Chandigarh, when officials had put the physical progress at 91 per cent. Yashanjit Singh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Ambala Division, said: “It’s a brownfield project and not a greenfield one due to which public inconvenience happens. But, we are fully aware of the problems and are doing everything possible to minimise the issues faced by the public.” He said the leakage from the sheds was on account of the work still being in progress, with drainage and other internal components yet to be completed. He said no fresh deadline had been continued on page 3 Panchkula, July 26 The police have arrested the main accused, Rajiv Paswan (22) and his associate Roshan (20) in connection with the double murder reported in Sector 19 here on July 4. Both were produced before a court, which remanded them in sixday police custody. The total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to six. Four accused had earlier been sent to judicial custody, while a juvenile was sent to the juvenile home. Rajiv, a native of Sipol district in Bihar; and Roshan, a resident of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, were both living in Abhaypur, Panchkula. The police said both accused would be questioned about the conspiracy behind the murders, the weapons used and the involvement of absconding accused. On July 4, the police received information that Sanjeet, a resident of Sector 19, had succumbed to injuries after being attacked with sharp weapons. During the investigation, the police also found the body of Arjun, a resident of Khadak Mangoli, near the underpass with Arjun, Sanjeet were found dead in Sector 19 on July 4 multiple stab injuries. According to Arjun’s sister, her brother had been in a relationship with Sanjeet’s sister for several years, and the couple had married in a temple. However, they later started living separately, leading to prolonged hostility between the two families. She alleged that Arjun had been called to a family ceremony, where Sanjeet and his associates attacked him with sharp weapons, resulting in his death. During the ensuing clash, Sanjeet was also killed. Separate FIRs were registered against both groups at the Sector 20 police station. The police had arrested Vipin, Prem Chand and Sukhpreet Singh on July 5, followed by Rohan Kumar of Abhaypur on July 7. A juvenile was also detained and later sent to a juvenile home by the Juvenile Justice Board. The police said further investigation was underway to establish the complete sequence of events and trace the absconding accused. Petrol bomb hurled at house in Sector 25 Chandigarh, July 26 A petrol bomb was hurled at a house in Sector 25 on Sunday. According to CCTV footage, six to seven miscreants arrived outside the house, smashed its windows, damaged a motorcycle and hurled a petrol bomb at the gate. The fire was extinguished by neighbours before it could spread. The miscreants fled the spot immediately after the attack. The accused allegedly committed another act of vandalism in Maloya later. They reportedly smashed the windowpanes of four-wheelers parked along the roadside using sticks and sluggers. Acting on a complaint, the police scrutinised the CCTV footage and arrested all accused. They have been identified as Prince, Dhruv, Shubham, Ankush, Arshdeep and a juvenile. The police said the accused carried out the attacks to avenge an old rivalry. Further investigation is underway. — TNS Process to draft new Industrial Policy begins Party now has 10 votes in MC House Welcoming the new entrants, Lucky assured them of respect and dignity within the organisation. He said their experience, public outreach and organisational strength would inject fresh energy into the Congress and reinforce its presence across the city. Lucky attributed the growing support for the Congress to MP Manish Tewari’s efforts in raising public issues in Parliament and to the party’s councillors for effectively voicing citizens’ concerns in the Municipal Corporation. He said with Munawar’s induction, the number of Congress councillors in the MC House had risen to nine. Including the voting right of the MP the Congress now , commands 10 votes. FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Main accused, aide arrested in P’kula double murder case PROJECT TIMELINE APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 26.8°C SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:39 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET MONDAY 7:20 PM » MONDAY | 27 JULY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST UT examines Gujarat model; to focus on subsidies, incentives to attract investment Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service Rain lashes Chandigarh on Sunday evening. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI Heavy rain likely from today Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 26 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Monday, forecasting heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds at isolated places. The department has issued an orange alert for Tuesday and Wednesday, when widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places is expected in Chandigarh. According to the IMD’s special weather bulletin, rain- fall activity is expected to increase significantly between July 28 and 30, with light to moderate rain likely at most places in Chandigarh on July 28 and 29. The yellow alert will remain in force on Thursday and Friday, with fairly widespread heavy rain at isolated places. An IMD spokesperson said: “Monsoon activity over Chandigarh is expected to strengthen from Monday, with the most active phase likely between Tuesday and Wednesday. Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy spells is expected during this period before rainfall activity gradually decreases towards the weekend.” Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 37°C, up 2.2 degrees from Saturday and 3.2 degrees above normal, on Sunday, which was the highest maximum temperature in Punjab. The minimum temperature also increased by 1.6 degrees to 26.8°C, though it remained 0.3 degree below normal. Relative humidity ranged between 54 per cent and 77 per cent. c m y b Chandigarh, July 26 The UT Administration has initiated the process of drafting a new Industrial Policy aimed at making Chandigarh more attractive for investment, strengthening existing industries and generating employment. Being prepared under the directions of the Central Government, the proposed policy is expected to be modelled on the Gujarat Industrial Policy. According to officials, the Gujarat model is being examined, and the new policy is likely to shift its focus from merely facilitating business to providing direct financial support and incentives to industries. The objective is to reduce the cost of doing business, improve the competitiveness of local industries and attract fresh investment. One of the key proposals under consideration is financial assistance for certification and regulatory compliance. Officials said industrial units spending up to Rs 10 lakh on product certification, food and quality testing, export licences or other mandatory technical approvals might receive partial reimburse- WHAT INDUSTRIALISTS DEMAND ■ A single-window clearance system with deemed approval within 30 days for all NOCs and permissions ■ Simplified mortgage, transfer and change-of-use norms for converted MSME plots ■ Better worker and infrastructure support, including dedicated parking, toilets, transport and skill centres in Industrial Area. ■ Subsidies and handholding support for solar power, ment, subject to eligibility and policy provisions. The Administration is also considering concessions in electricity charges, government fees and other statutory levies to reduce operational costs for industries. Given the limited availability of industrial land in Chandigarh, the proposed policy will focus on modernisation, technology upgrade, expansion of existing industrial units and higher productivity. Special emphasis is expected to be placed on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The officials said the Administration was also examining waste management and pollution-control measures ■ Priority for local MSMEs in government tenders and incubation support for Chandigarh-based units the feasibility of creating a dedicated industrial incentive fund to finance subsidy and incentive schemes under the new policy. Before finalising the draft, the UT is expected to hold consultations with industrial associations and other stakeholders. The proposal will then be sent to the Central Government for approval. The new policy will also review the provisions of Chandigarh’s 2015 Industrial Policy. The existing measures, including the singlewindow clearance system, online approvals, ease-ofdoing-business initiatives and support for MSMEs, are likely to be strengthened. Chander Verma, chairman of the Chandigarh Industrial Converted Plot Owners Association, said the UT Administration had made several promises in the 2015 Industrial Policy, but most remained unfulfilled. “As we await the new policy, we demand a people-friendly industrial policy that protects existing industries and workers,” Verma said. Among the association’s key demands are a singlewindow clearance system with deemed approval within 30 days for all NOCs and permissions, simplified mortgage, transfer and change-ofuse norms for converted MSME plots. The association has also demanded better worker and infrastructure support, including dedicated parking, toilets, transport, a common effluent treatment plant (ETP) and skill centres in Industrial Area. The association has sought subsidies and handholding support for solar power, waste management and pollutioncontrol measures, priority for local MSMEs in government tenders and incubation support for Chandigarh-based continued on page 3