19032025-CT-01.qxd 3/19/2025 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune MAN WANTED FOR 16 BIKE THEFTS ARRESTED IN P’KULA HC SETS ASIDE RETROSPECTIVE ACCEPTANCE OF RESIGNATION ACTOR PULKIT WRAPS UP PUNJAB SHOOT FOR GLORY Police arrest notorious bike thief near Sector 11. The suspect had 16 cases registered against him. P2 An employee’s resignation was accepted with retrospective effect despite its prior withdrawal. P2 Actor Pulkit Samrat has just wrapped up his shooting in Punjab for his upcoming film Glory. P4 » » WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Exhibition: ‘Writing in French – A world of voices’, Alliance Française, Sector 36, from March 13 to 31 (9 am to 6 pm) Play: Behrupiya. script and direction by Niresh Kumar (NSD), Mini Auditorium, Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, on March 23 (6.30 pm) Literary Festival : Chandigarh Lit Fest Literati – Spring Edition2025, CII Headquarters, Sector 31, Chandigarh, March 22, 11 am onwards, entry free APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 and 52 Panchkula: Sector 25 Mohali: Phase 11 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com INBRIEF WOMAN’S GOLD CHAIN SNATCHED Chandigarh: An unidentified miscreant snatched a gold chain from a woman in Sector 49. The complainant reported that the incident took place near vegetable market. A case has been registered. TNS YOUTH ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY Chandigarh: The police have arrested a 20-year-old youth for robbery. Complainant Pawan Kumar of Hallo Majra village had reported that two unidentified persons had thrashed him and robbed him of his purse containing Rs 2,000 and documents near the Poultry Farm chowk on March 17. A case was registered at the Sector 31 police station. During the investigation, the police nabbed one of the suspects, Vicky, alias Barfi, a resident of Ram Darbar, Phase I. TNS MAX 29°C | MIN 14°C YESTERDAY MAX 29.3°C | MIN 14°C SUNRISE THURSDAY 6.26 AM /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE see red as UT mulls easing regulations to Haemophilia patientsformonths medicines out of stock create biz-friendly ecosystem Sheetal Tribune News Service Centre presses for simplified change of land use, digitised approvals Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 18 In a bid to create a business-friendly environment, the Central Government has initiated measures to relax zoning norms, simplify land use change procedures and digitise regulatory approvals in the UT. The first meeting of the Chandigarh Compliance Reduction and De-Regulation Task Force, spearheaded by the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, was held today to streamline business regulations, enhance the ease of doing business and improve urban planning frameworks in the city. The meeting was co-chaired by SCL Das, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, and Rajiv Verma, Chief Secretary, Chandigarh. Das, who has been tasked with driving the de-regulation initiative for Chandigarh, highlighted the government’s focus on reducing compliance burdens across key areas such as land use, building regulations, labour laws, utilities and permissions. The discussions during the meeting emphasised relaxing Secretary of MSME ministry SCL Das and UT Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma chair the maiden meeting of the Chandigarh Compliance Reduction and De-Regulation Task Force on Tuesday. zoning norms, simplifying land use change procedures, and digitising regulatory approvals to create a business-friendly environment while maintaining the city’s planned development ethos. Key points discussed during the meeting were introduction of flexible zoning norms to facilitate mixed-use development, relaxation of floor area ratio restrictions for construction projects and integration of third-party inspections within existing Himachal roadways bus vandalised by ‘radicals’ Mohali, March 18 Two masked car-borne persons vandalised a Chandigarh-Hamirpur bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) near Shivjot Enclave in Kharar here this evening, leaving the passengers in a state of shock. The incident is being seen as a retaliatory move in protest against the HP Police action against radical elements following display of flags and posters near Manikaran in Kullu. Sources said the car-borne youths stopped the public transport vehicle and vandalised it in full public view before fleeing the spot. One of the youths attacked the front windshields of the bus while the other remained seated in the car, whose registration plate was masked with tape. The passengers were shifted to another bus to continue their journey. The police later took the vehicle in their possession and began an investigation. regulatory frameworks, permission for night-time employment for women, proposal to increase working hours and simplify industrial layoff regulations under labour law reforms, faster approvals for industrial licences, fire NOCs and environmental clearances through an integrated singlewindow system and a proposal to integrate Chandigarh’s GIS-based Master Plan with the PM Gati Shakti portal for efficient land use planning. Man held over celebratory fire in Mohali Tribune News Service A smashed windshield of the HRTC bus in Kharar. A large number of tourists, pilgrims from Punjab travel to HP in large groups on motorcycles, and some are accused of displaying Khalistan flags and engaging in brawl with locals. On March 5, 2023, over 100 miscreants from Punjab reportedly rioted in Manikaran, vandalising around 20 vehicles and creating panic at night. Two individuals were later arrested for the incident. — TNS Mohali, March 18 A man has been arrested for celebratory fire at a wedding function in Sector 101 here. The suspect has been identified as Sukhpreet Singh Sukhi, a resident of Premgarh, Sainimajra, Sector 101. A purported video of the incident went viral on the social media prompting the police to register a case. The video showed the suspect dancing with three persons on the DJ floor and pulling out a pistol from his pocket before firing two shots into the air. As the suspect tried to put the pistol back in his pocket, it accidentally slipped from his hand and fell on the floor, discharging accidentally once. No one was injured in the incident. The police said the suspect had been arrested and his licensed weapon seized. Continued on page 2 Expect destructive Punjab Kings this IPL season, says coach Ricky Ponting Deepankar Sharda Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 18 Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be destructive, dynamic and determined from the very first game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, stated Ricky Ponting, former Australian skipper and the new coach of the Punjab franchise. “I have clearly told them (players), we have nothing to lose...so they shouldn’t be afraid of anything,” said Ponting at Maharaja Yadavindra International PCA Stadium in Mullanpur here today. The PBKS will be playing their first game of this IPL MAINLY CLEAR SKY SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.33 PM » WEDNESDAY | 19 MARCH 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer during a press meet at the Mullanpur stadium on Tuesday. PHOTO: VICKY season against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25. Ponting is looking forward to the new edition of India’s showpiece event by forgetting the past per- formance of the PBKS. “See, we are starting afresh, playing a new season and with a brand new quality of cricket. I wanted a really strong coaching challenge,” said the Aussie. He added, “We are having some very fine quality players. We won’t be having any excuse of not giving our best on the field and against any given team.” The PBKS retained only two players in the 23-member squad for this season. Now having a ‘star studded’ team may put pressure on Ponting to pick the suitable 11. However, the coach is happy to have the competition within the team. “It’s good to have a competition within a group. We have 25 best and fit players, having a lot of talent. It will be exciting to pick playing 11...we have good practice Continued on page 2 c m y b The task force will continue to monitor implementation progress and propose further simplifications to create a more conducive business ecosystem in the UT. The meeting, convened by Nishant Kumar Yadav, Secretary, Industries-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, saw participation of Finance Secretary Diprava Lakra, Home Secretary Mandeep Singh Brar, Education Secretary Prerna Puri and Continued on page 2 Panchkula, March 18 Haemophilia patients in Haryana continue to suffer as life-saving medicines have not been available for months. Despite repeated pleas to the government, the situation continues to remain grim. The member-patients of Haryana Haemophilic Welfare Federation (HHWF) met Manish Bansal, Director General Health Services (DGHS), on Monday and even submitted a written application at the Chief Minister’s Office in Panchkula, highlighting their plight. They had earlier met the DGHS on January 20 in this regard, but to no avail. According to the federation, patients have been struggling due to frequent shortage of essential FactorVIII and Factor-IX drugs. Vishnu Goyal, president, HHWF emphasised that the , unavailability of medicines caused immense hardships to patients, forcing them to travel to Chandigarh or Delhi for treatment. He urged the government to take immediate action to ensure a steady supply of medicines. According to the Health Department, 967 haemophilia patients are registered with the Haryana State Blood Transfu- The Haryana Haemophilic Welfare Federation has urged the state government to resolve the crisis urgently. TENDER INVITED TO PROCURE DRUGS: DGHS We are trying our best to resolve the shortage of haemophilia drugs. We have invited a tender to procure the medicines. It shall be finalised soon. ❝ Manish Bansal, DIRECTOR GENERAL HEALTH SERVICE, HARYANA sion Council, Panchkula. Not everyone can afford the costly treatment required to live with the disease. The DGHS said, “We are trying our best to resolve the shortage of haemophilia drugs. We have invited a tender to procure the medicines. It shall be finalised soon.” Adding to the patients’ woes, the promised financial assistance also remains elusive. Three years ago, former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a pension scheme for haemophilia patients and it was reiterated by incumbent Nayab Saini. However, no patient has received the benefit so far. The federation appealed to the government to resolve the crisis urgently and provide them with the long-overdue financial aid. Patients warned that if their demand was ignored, they would be forced to stage protests.