23092026-CT-01.qxd 9/23/2026 12:58 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune ~37-CRORE SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS DISBURSED IN 2 YRS KATARIA CALLS FOR BUILDING DRUG-FREE CHANDIGARH YAMI GAUTAM, MAMMOOTTY & KARTIK WIN TOP HONOURS The UT Administration disbursed around ~37 crore in scholarships and cash awards in two years. P3 UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria calls for collective and sustained efforts to build a drug-free Chandigarh. P3 Yami Gautam, Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty honoured with Best Actress and Best Actor awards. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 52 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 36°C | MIN 24°C YESTERDAY MAX 35.8°C | MIN 23°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.18 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.12 AM » WEDNESDAY | 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE 9,927 voters added in final electoral roll of Chandigarh SIRexercise weeded out 5,190 names without missing known citizens: DC Nitin Jain 30% city electors Chandigarh, September 22 ‘vanished’ since The final electoral roll of Chandigarh published today 2024, claims MP under the Special Intensive Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH HELPLINE: Punjab Governor & UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to launch anti-drug helpline number; UT Secretariat, Sector 9; 10.20 am CEREMONY: Prize distribution ceremony of IPS Mann junior, subjunior & EWS golf tournament-2026; Chandigarh Golf Association, Sector 6; 12.30 pm EXHIBITION: Chandigarh Tourism Department to organise photo exhibition, capturing the essence of city; Director Tourism office, Sector 19; 5 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Revision (SIR), 2026, has added a net 9,927 electors — 2.20 per cent increase —taking the Union Territory’s total voter count to 4,60,209. The rise runs counter to the trend reported from several other states and UTs during this year’s SIR, where the exercise largely resulted in deletions. Officials attributed the net addition to a controlled and closely monitored roll-mapping process that added new and shifted voters even as ineligible entries were weeded out. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is Additional Chief Electoral Officer and District Election Officer, told The Tribune that the UT Administration had ensured no prominent citizen — from politics, the judiciary, the armed forces or sports — was left out during the exercise, an outcome he contrasted with complaints of omissions reported from Delhi’s SIR. “Every case flagged during the notice phase was individually verified before a name Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sector 37, Burail village 10 am to 5 pm: Parts of Sectors 39, 42 and 43, Dhanas village, Aman Colony, Chaman Colony, Ambedkar Colony, IMT residential houses and IRB, Sarangpur. Chandigarh, September 22 The MC General House on Monday rejected a proposal to enhance parking rates while giving a go-ahead for the auction of all 21 paid parking sites in Sector 17, including the multi-level facility. The agenda had proposed to increase the parking rates after the selected contractor upgraded the facilities with smart features. However, Mayor Saurabh Joshi opposed the proposal to hike the rates. After deliberation, the House approved the agenda to auction the 21 sites in Sector 17 at the existing rates. The contractor will have to install BIKER FALLS OFF FLYOVER, HURT Mohali: A biker sustained serious head injuries after falling off the Singhpura flyover onto the road below, near Sethi Dhabha in Zirakpur on Tuesday evening. Passersby gathered at the spot and rushed the victim to hospital where his condition is stated to be serious. TNS Hubby already in jail, woman held with heroin Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 22 The police have arrested a 29year-old woman with 25.94 grams of heroin. The suspect has been identified as Maya Devi, a resident of New Indira Colony, Manimajra. A police patrol team stopped her on suspicion and her search led to the recovery of a pouch containing heroin. A case under Section 21 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Manimajra police station. Sources said Maya’s husband was currently lodged in jail in an NDPS case. The police said she was earlier booked under the NDPS Act in February 2024 at the MDC police station in Panchkula. In May 2025, a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against her for assault and criminal intimidation at the IT Park police station. CITY SIR AT A GLANCE Qualifying date Draft roll published Final roll published Draft roll electors Final roll electors Male/Female /Third gender Elector-population ratio Gender ratio Total deletions July 1, 2026 July 21 September 22 4,50,282 4,60,209 2,34,516 /2,25,671/22 335 962 5,190 was struck off,” Yadav said. According to the SIR data compilation, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the draft electoral roll published on July 21 had listed 4,50,282 electors — 2,29,555 male, 2,20,706 female and 21 third gender. Of these, 3,80,821 electors (84.57 per cent) were mapped, either as self or as progeny; 69,461 (15.42 per cent) remained unmapped and were served notices, along with 68,700 electors flagged for logical discrepancies. During hearings, 4,644 electors (1.03 per cent) were found ineligible over inadmissible documents, absence, death, shifting or duplication. continued on page 2 MC House rejects parking fee hike for Sec 17 sites POWER SHUTDOWN INBRIEF Chief Electoral Officer Prerna Puri addresses mediapersons on publication of the final electoral roll, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Chandigarh, September 22 MP Manish Tewari questioned the Election Commission of India over what he described as the disappearance of 1,99,596 electors — 30.26 per cent of the city’s electorate — between June 1, 2024, and the publication of the final electoral roll today. Tewari asked the Election Commission of India to clarify where these voters had gone as no other state or Union Territory was recording a corresponding gain in electors. “If they were duplicate voters, the ECI should tell us where they are now enrolled. If they were “ghost voters, the commission should publish their names. Failing either explanation, the possibility is that they are “poor people who simply have been disenfranchised because they never had the requisite documentation,” he said. The MP said the “truth will only be known” once the commission separately releases the names and addresses of deleted names, a demand he made in the statement. — TNS smart parking features at the parking sites having a capacity of more than 50 four-wheelers within days from the date of getting the possession. Among the other agendas approved by the House was granting interim permissions for displaying advertisements on 320 public toilet blocks, 144 connecting passages and 62 cycle docking station sites on a monthly payment basis, pending finalisation of tenders. The MC is expected to earn Rs 82crore revenue from the auction. Four-bin waste segregation The House approved the Chandigarh Solid Waste Management Bye-laws, 2026, in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules2026, making it mandatory for all households and establishments to adopt a four-bin waste segregation system, with strict enforcement and challaning for violations. The residents are required to segregate waste at source using four separate bins — a green bin for wet waste, a blue bin for dry waste, a black bin for hazardous waste and a red bin for biomedical and sanitary waste. There is no change in the rates for doorto-door garbage collection. The House gave its nod to bringing Attawa, Badheri, Butrela, Burail, Sector 63, Maloya village, EWS ColonyMaloya, Palsora, Dadumajra village and Kajheri under garbage collection scheme. Waste processing The House approved a proposal to select an agency for processing dry and mixed waste at the existing 200 TPD Dry Waste Processing Plant in Sector 25. It approved the request for proposal (RFP) for ‘design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of Wastewater Treatment System for Faidan Drain. A similar RFP for effluenttreatment plants at municipal dhobi ghats was also cleared. A proposal for rejuvenation of selected ponds continued on page 2 AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra walks out of the MC House meeting after being suspended for the remainder of the day’s proceedings, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARDEEP TEWARI Uproar in MC meet over corruption charge, AAP councillor suspended Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 22 The General House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation witnessed high drama today after BJP councillor Gurbax Rawat move a censure motion against AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra for allegedly ‘tarnishing” the image of the House by levelling corruption allegations against councillors. Mayor Saurabh Joshi suspended Dhingra for the remainder of the day’s proceeding following a vote on a resolution presented by BJP councillors. Rawat alleged that during a press conference, Dhingra had alleged corruption in the passing of agenda items. She said there was no proof of such allegations and proposed a resolution condemning his statement. Dhingra, however, stood by his allegations and claimed that a pen drive containing all such proofs had been submitted to the Director General of Police (DGP) along with detailed complaints, seeking registration of FIRs. AAP councillors demanded an impartial investigation into the entire matter. BJP and AAP councillors raised slogans against each other in the House. The Mayor said no council- Bapu Dham girl corners Asian Games glory Chandigarh pacer Nandini part of Indian cricket team that won the gold medal in Japan Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 22 From playing in the narrow lanes of Bapu Dham Colony to shining on the world stage, Nandini Sharma can add another feather to her cap by becoming the first international women cricketer from the city to receive a whopping Rs 3 crore cash award under the new 2023 Sports Policy of the Chandigarh Administration. She is part of the Indian women team that won the gold in the ongoing Asian Games in Japan today. At Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi-Nagoya, the Indian women’s team won its second consecutive Asian Games gold today. The side defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to win the country’s first gold in the current edition of the multi-sport event. Nandini, a regular member of the Indian women’s team, now stands eligible for the UT Administration’s cash Nandini Sharma, flanked by Pratika Rawal (left) and Bharti Fulmali, after India won the women T20 final against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games-2026 in Japan on Tuesday. PTI award scheme, which mandates a cash award of Rs 3 Crore for the Asian Games winners. However, an official announcement is yet to be made in this regard. She is also the first women cricketer from the city to win an Asian Games gold. In 2023, the UT Administra- tion had revised its sports policy, announcing Rs 6 crore for an Olympics gold medal and Rs 3 crore for an Asian Games or Para Asian Games gold. Besides, a massive hike in cash awards was announced for other position holders and other categories. The city pacer played three c m y b matches in Japan and returned with her best figures of 3/25 against Bangladesh in the semifinal. Nandini’s entry into the Indian team came after a dramatic turns of event. In May this year, she received her maiden India call-up following a stunning performance in the recent Women’s Premier League (WPL), and an injury to fellow Chandigarh player Kashvee Gautam. She was picked in the 15-player squad for a Test against England, but subsequently made established herself as a regular member of the Indian team. She went on to play the Women’s T20 World Cup. In 14 T20 Internationals, she has taken 17 wickets, with the best figures of 3/18. She was also part of the Indian team that won the ACC Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai earlier this month, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs. Nandini hogged the national limelight by claiming 17 wickets in 10 matches playing for the Delhi Capitals in the WPL. She also claimed a five-wicket haul, including the first hat-trick of the WPL season, against Gujarat Giants. She was also part of the India squad that played in the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars Tournament in Bangkok this February. BJP’s Rawat moved censure motion against Dhingra for ‘tarnishing’ image of House lor could be allowed to level baseless allegations and asked Dhingra to apologise to the House. Joshi asked him to produce evidence in support of his allegations. An audio clip of Dhingra’s press conference was also played in the House. Joshi gave Dhingra one hour to divulge the names of five councillors allegedly involved in the matter, warning action against him if he failed to do so. Replying to the censure motion, Dhingra read out the complaint he had submitted to the DGP The Mayor subse. quently said since Dhingra failed to divulge the names of the five councillors and issued him a warning under Section 62 of the Municipal Corporation Act. BJP councillors then demanded Dhingra’s suspension from the House. The Mayor put the matter to vote, following which Dhingra was suspended for the remaining proceedings of the House. Reacting to the suspension, the AAP councillor said he wanted to play the audio recording in the House and seek an explanation from the BJP over its contents. Instead of taking action against those facing allegations of corruption, he was suspended, he added. Dhingra alleged that the BJP was protecting those facing allegations of corruption. “The country is watching how people facing corruption allegations are allegedly being given political protection,” he said. City AAP president Vijay Pal Singh said, “The MC is facing serious questions over transparency and accountability. The recent allegations of horse-trading, particularly the matter involving a BJP councillor, raised serious concerns about the functioning and ethical standards of the civic system.” Instead of responding to serious questions relating to alleged corruption and financial transactions, the BJP chose to take action against the elected representative who raised the questions, said Vijay Pal. He said AAP had earlier approached the DGP seeking an impartial investigation into allegations of monetary transactions linked to the passage of MC agenda items. The party also demanded a forensic examination of the purported Rs 80-lakh audio recording. YearafterfatalPorschecrash, Panchkula bizman charged with culpable homicide Chandigarh, September 22 A local court has framed charges against a businessman for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after he allegedly ran over a man, killing him, in a road mishap on the road separating Sectors 4 and 9 last year. Sanjeev Babuta of Panchkula was allegedly driving the Porsche car that hit Ankit (23), who was riding an Activa scooter, and two women who were travelling on another scooter on March 10 last year. While Ankit died on the spot, the two women were injured in the incident. According to the FIR, Soni, one of the injured women, told the police that she and her elder sister’s daughter Gurleen were on their way home in Nayagaon around 8 pm. They had reached near the Sector 4/9 turn when a speeding white car came from the Sector 3/4/9/10 roundabout side and hit the Activa rider travelling ahead of them. The car was allegedly being driven on the wrong side. Due to the collision, the Activa rider was thrown off the scooter and landed on the front windshield of the car. Thereafter, the car hit them and they too fell on the road, she added. She stated that the car driver did not stop the vehicle. The Activa rider travelling ahead of them got trapped under the car along with his scooter. The car dragged both the man and his scooter for some distance before hitting an electricity pole and a sign board and coming to a halt, she added. After the accident, family members of the 23-yr-old victim held a candle march, seeking the car driver’s arrest. Seven days later, the police added Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS to the case against the accused. — TNS