19012026-CT-01.qxd 1/19/2026 12:16 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune COMPRESSED BIOGAS PLANT TO COME UP AT DADUMAJRA TAMIL SANGAM CELEBRATES THAI PONGAL FESTIVAL AR RAHMAN RESPONDS, REAFFIRMS LOVE FOR INDIA MC and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd join hands to set up ~125-crore facility at Dadumajra ground. P3 56th Thai Pongal celebrations are being held at Bharti Bhwan in Sector 30, Chandigarh. P3 Music maestro AR Rahman shares his first post after row over the controversial remarks he made against Bollywood. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 186 PANCHKULA 104 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD UT Estate Office set to facilitate auction of private properties Dushyant Singh Pundir Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 10 am to 1 pm: Parts of Khuda Lahora and Khuda Jassu villages 11 am to 1 pm: Parts of Sector 39, IMT residential house complex 10 am to 2 pm: Parts of Sector 63 /THETRIBUNECHD Chandigarh, January 18 In a significant move aimed at ensuring fair and transparent property transactions, the UT Estate Office will soon facilitate the sale and purchase of private properties. The initiative is intended to protect residents from unscrupulous dealers and streamline dealings through an official mechanism. According to officials, the Estate Office has decided to conduct auctions of private properties after due verification. Under the proposed system, property owners willing to sell their assets will first have to register with the office. Any objections or discrepancies noted in the property records will be addressed and resolved by the office before the property is offered for sale, ensuring that buyers are presented with a “clean” title. However, officials clarified that properties that are under litigations or involved in legal disputes will not be considered under this mechanism. At the time of registration, To charge fee for holding auctions after due verification BRIDGE BETWEEN BUYER, SELLER ❝ We are deliberating on how the Estate Office could work as a bridge between the buyer and the seller for fair and transparent transactions. ❞ — Nishant Kumar Yadav, DC the seller will be required to declare a reserve price of the property, after which it will be put up for auction. The seller will be kept informed about the bids received, and the property will be sold to the highest bidder only after the seller’s consent. The Estate Office will charge a fee for facilitating the transaction, officials said, adding that the move is expected to particularly benefit non-resident Indians (NRIs) and elderly residents who wish to dispose of their properties without the usual hassles associated with private agents. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that the Estate Office is currently in the process of preparing a draft of the scheme. “We are deliberating on how the Estate Office could work as a bridge between the buyer and the seller for fair and transparent transactions,” he said, adding that a service charge would be levied for handling such dealings. Meanwhile, the office has also decided to hold quarterly auctions of government properties, including residential and commercial. Nearly 1,000 plots, including more than 700 residential, are lying vacant in the city. All residential plots will be offered on a freehold basis. In September last year, the office auctioned 13 residential plots earning a record Rs 168.85 crore, more than double the reserve price of Rs 75.29 crore. In that auction, three one-kanal plots were sold for more than Rs 22 crore each and a twokanal plot fetched more than Rs 33 crore. c m y b MOSTLY CLOUDY MAX 22°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 23.4°C | MIN 5.5°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.45 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.19 AM » MONDAY | 19 JANUARY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Soaking in the sun People bask in the sun at Sukhna Lake on Sunday. Rain is expected in the Tricity on January 22 and 23. TRIBUNE PHOTO: VICKY 1.214 kg gold, ~1.42-cr unaccounted cash recovered from Ambala resident’s car Chandigarh, January 18 The UT police today arrested a resident of Ambala for carrying 1.214 kg of gold (worth nearly Rs 1.81 crore) and unaccounted cash of Rs 1.42 crore in his car at a temporary checkpoint put up at Industrial Area. The police took the unaccounted gold and cash in their possession of after car driver Jagmohan Jain failed to produce valid documents and reason for carrying it. The police also impounded the car. According to the police officials, a car bearing Haryana number was stopped for a random checking. The driver was hesitant to comply with the police request and acted suspiciously. According to officers on duty, he tried to escape the checkpoint by taking a wrong turn, but failed due to traffic. “While searching the vehicle, the police recovered gold and cash. The accused failed to reveal its source. The accused is being questioned,” said an official. The police have involved other agencies in the investigation to find links with hawala transactions, tax evasion or other illegal financial activities. Further legal action will be initiated after verification of documents and financial transactions, they added. — TNS