15072026-CT-01.qxd 7/15/2026 1:02 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune UT MOVES CENTRE TO STALL AUCTIONS IN US, SPAIN SIR: OVER 66,000 VOTERS FAIL TO SUBMIT FORMS ALIA BHATT JOINS SOHUM SHAH IN TUMBBAD 2 Writes to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking urgent diplomatic intervention. P3 Door-to-door visits by BLOs across the UT, which began on June 15, concluded on Tuesday. P3 The makers of Tumbbad 2 have officially confirmed that Alia Bhatt will star alongside Sohum Shah. P4 » » AIR QUALITY INDEX CHANDIGARH 80 PANCHKULA 56 401-500 301-400 201-300 101-200 51-100 0-50 SEVERE VERY POOR POOR MODERATE SATISFACTORY GOOD PM will inaugurate, lay foundation stones of NHAI, PGI, UT Administration projects THE TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE THE ITINERARY ■ Arrival from Jind at Rajindra Park Nitin Jain helipad (by MI-17 helicopter) 1:40 pm Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Please send information about events in Tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com POWER SHUTDOWN CHANDIGARH 9 am to 11 am: Parts of Sector 36 10 am to 12 noon: Sector 4 Man awarded 20-year RI in rape case Chandigarh, July 14 A Fast-Track Special Court here has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a rape and POCSO case registered in 2024. The accused was arrested on the allegations of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. The police had registered an FIR on December 8, 2024, at IT Park police station under Section 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 6 and 14 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on a complaint of the victim’s mother. The complainant stated that her family was living in a rented accommodation at Kishangarh, Chandigarh. She alleged that the accused molested her seven-year-old daughter when the child was alone at home. The counsel for the accused denied the charges and argued that his client had been falsely implicated. However, the Special Public Prosecutor contended that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a shadow of doubt. After hearing both sides, the court found the accused guilty of the charges framed against him and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. ~116-CR MC SCAM Accused denied anticipatory bail Chandigarh, July 14 A CBI court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Anubhav Mishra, a former contractual employee of the Municipal Corporation (MC) and one of the accused in the alleged Rs 116-crore fraud involving deposits of the Chandigarh Smart City Limited in IDFC First Bank. In his bail plea, Mishra contended that he had no authority to operate or transact money from the bank accounts. He claimed that all financial transactions were carried out with the approval of senior MC officials. He further stated that he merely kept the FDRs and had no knowledge of whether they were genuine or fake. The CBI’s public prosecutor opposed the anticipatory bail plea. — TNS Chandigarh, July 14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a 45minute event at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in Chandigarh on July 17 during which he will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of road, health and civic infrastructure projects worth over Rs 6,600 crore — the single largest package of project launches the Tricity has seen in recent years. According to information exclusively accessed by The Tribune, Modi will reach the Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Sector 12, at 1.45 pm and depart at 2.35 pm. He will fly in by an MI-17 helicopter from Jind and leave for Jalandhar by the same chopper, with landing and take-off from the Rajindra Park helipad. The PM will be accompanied by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Haryana Governor Prof Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini. The centrepiece of the event is three NHAI road ■ To reach PEC at 1:45 pm, leave at 2:35 pm ■ Will leave for Jalandhar from Rajindra Park helipad (by MI-17 helicopter) 2.45 pm ARRANGEMENTS SEATING COST PERSONS CRORE 7,700 ~2 WHAT’S IN STORE 3 NHAI ROAD INFRA PROJECTS ~5,278 CRORE HEALTH PROJECTS AT PGI ~1,200 CRORE UT ADMN’S HOUSING INFRA Labourers busy constructing a waterproof tent at Punjab Engineering College ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on July 17, at Sector 12 in Chadigarh on Tuesday. PARDEEP TEWARI infrastructure projects under the Tricity Ring Road network, cumulatively valued at Rs 5,278 crore. These will be followed by the inauguration and foundation-stone laying of projects worth Rs 1,200 crore at the PGI and a set of UT Administration housing and infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore, taking the combined value of all projects being rolled out at the event to over Rs 6,600 crore. The three NHAI projects Modi will launch are the final pieces of the Tricity Ring Road —the 244-km, Rs 12,000-crore orbital network being built around Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula to divert non-local and interstate traffic away from the urban core. The first is the 31.23-km, six-lane IT City-Kurali Greenfield Corridor, built at a cost of Rs 1,936 crore. Already open to traffic, the corridor bypasses the congested stretches of Mohali, Kharar and Kurali, taking heavy vehicles and long-haul freight off Mohali’s overburdened Airport Road. NHAI officials said the stretch cuts the travel time on the MohaliKharar-Kurali route by about 45 minutes and directly strengthens connectivity between Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The second project is the 19.2-km, six-lane Zirakpur- Beating the heat ~150 CRORE Panchkula Bypass, for which the Letter of Award has been issued at a cost of Rs 1,878 crore. The bypass aims to offer relief from one of the worst bottlenecks in the region — the Zirakpur-Panchkula corridor — cutting the travel time on the stretch from nearly 35 minutes to 17 minutes. It offers direct, grade-separated access to Himachal Pradesh, relieving local roads in Zirakpur and Panchkula of Continued on page 3 MAX 36°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 36.6°C | MIN 25.6°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.31 AM /THETRIBUNECHD Modi’s 45-minute halt at PEC to give ~6,600-cr infra push to city PARTLY CLOUDY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.26 PM » WEDNESDAY | 15 JULY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Sisodiaconfronted by Ram Mandir committee membersinKharar Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, July 14 Tension prevailed at the Ram Mandir in Kharar on Tuesday evening after volunteers of the Ram Mandir Sankirtan Committee allegedly confronted Punjab AAP incharge Manish Sisodia and his supporters over the issue of donation theft in Ayodhya. Sisodia had been invited by the Ram Mandir Sankirtan Committee to attend the weekly “Hanuman Chalisa” recitation. Two local MLAs and several AAP supporters also attended the event. According to sources, while addressing the gathering, Sisodia raised the issue of donation theft in Ayodhya. He reportedly demanded strict action against those responsible and described the incident as a blow to the faith of devotees. The sources said a group of people also distributed forms among visitors inside the temple complex, seeking their consent for strict action against those involved in the donation theft. The move reportedly irked some members of the temple committee and other devotees. “The letter, purportedly addressed by a Ram Bhakt to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sought strict action against the guilty and stated that shielding them would be a grave sin. Devotees were asked to sign it with their Manish Sisodia name, phone number and address. Several forms were torn by angry protesters, who also raised slogans,” the sources claimed. One of the two MLAs present at the event, however, denied that any such incident had taken place. Committee in-charge Parvesh Sharma later criticised Sisodia and allegedly confronted him over his remarks and the form-filling exercise as he was leaving the temple premises. A heated exchange followed, which briefly escalated into a minor scuffle before police personnel intervened and brought the situation under control. A sizeable crowd had gathered outside the temple before Sisodia and AAP workers left the venue. Mohali district BJP president Sanjeev Vashishth said, “Sisodia should pursue his policy of ‘Saam, daam, dand, bhed’ outside the temple. We will not allow anyone to use religious institutions to pursue political vendetta.” Can’t withhold GPF just because employee has been sacked: CAT Tribune News Service Children beat the heat at an artificial waterfall in Nirjhar Vatika, Panchkula, on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR Chandigarh, July 14 Holding that the payment of the General Provident Fund (GPF) is a statutory entitlement that cannot be withheld merely because an employee has been dismissed from service, the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has directed the UT Administration to release the GPF dues of Ved Mitter Gill, a former Deputy Superintendent of Model Jail, Burail. Gill had approached the Tribunal seeking directions to the respondents to grant him pension and other retiral benefits, including GPF leave encash, ment and gratuity, along with 18 per cent annual interest from the date of his dismissal from service on March 1, 2004. In his application, Gill stated that while he was serving as Deputy Superintendent at Model Jail, Burail, undertrial prisoners Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh Bheora escaped through a tunnel. Following the jailbreak, an FIR was registered on January 22, 2004, under various provisions of the IPC, and he was dismissed from service. Gill submitted that he was later acquitted of all criminal charges. Despite submitting several representations seeking the release of his pensionary benefits, no action was taken by the authorities, he said. After hearing the matter, the Tribunal observed that payment of the GPF is a statutory entitlement and cannot be withheld merely because an employee has been dismissed from service. It further held that delayed payment of admissible GPF dues would entitle the employee to interest in accordance with the applicable GPF rules. The Tribunal observed that the claim for pension, gratuity and other retiral benefits would be governed by the applicable service rules. However, it said the respondents were legally bound to release all dues that were otherwise admissible and not affected by the dismissal order. BJP leaders sweep Sec 26 mandi ahead of PM’s visit; mess stays Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July14 While several organisations and political parties, including the BJP carried out cleanliness , drives across the city ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, heaps of garbage were seen lying unattended at several locations in the Sector 26 fruit and vegetable market on Tuesday. Piles of plastic bags filled with rotten vegetables were found dumped near the entry points of the market, highlighting the poor sanitation conditions despite the ongoing cleanliness campaign. The local unit of the BJP organised a special cleanliness drive at the Sector 26 mandi under its “Swachhta Se Swagat” campaign. The drive, held from 8.30 am to 10.30 am, witnessed participation from BJP leaders, public representa- Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra (in blue T-shirt) and party workers clean the Sector 26 mandi on Tuesday; and (right) heaps of garbage at the entrance. tives, traders, party workers and local residents, who joined hands in cleaning the area. The programme was led by Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra. Local traders and residents also participated and pledged to contin- ue supporting cleanliness initiatives in their surroundings. Mayor Saurabh Joshi also led a special cleanliness drive in Burail and Sector 45 in the presence of councillors Kanwarjeet Singh and Lakhbir Singh. The drive covered c m y b Burail, Sectors 52 and 53, and Kajheri, where sanitation teams carried out sweeping, removed litter, cleaned roads and public spaces, and ensured scientific collection and disposal of waste. Addressing the gathering, the Mayor said cleanliness was a collective responsibility and reaffirmed the Municipal Corporation’s commitment to maintaining a clean, green and healthy Chandigarh. He urged residents to support sanitation efforts by keeping their neighbourhoods clean and disposing of waste responsibly. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal organised a special cleanliness drive in Sector 17. Led by its president, Sanjiv Chadha, senior office-bearers Sushil Bansal, Jaspal Singh, Raj Kumar Ghambhir and Mohan Singh, along with other traders, cleaned the market area. The organisation appealed to market associations across the city to organise similar drives before July 17. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, criticised the BJP’s “Swachhta Se Swagat” campaign. Chandigarh AAP president Vijaypal Singh alleged that the BJP had remembered cleanliness only ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. He said the city’s sanitation system had remained in a poor condition for the past 10 years. “Is cleanliness only meant for VIP visits and photo opportunities?” he asked, demanding that the BJP explain why the city’s sanitation system had failed despite crores of rupees being spent on it.