Latest news with #Panchkula-based
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Mayor Jeeti Sidhu urges govt to approve bio-gas plant at Samgauli to tackle waste crisis
Mayor Amarjeet Singh Jeeti Sidhu has written to the Punjab government seeking immediate approval for setting up a Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant at Samgauli village, aimed at addressing the growing waste management crisis in SAS Nagar (Mohali). In letters addressed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Tejveer Singh (Secretary, Local Government Department), and Deepti Uppal (Secretary, PMIDC), the mayor emphasised the urgency of clearing the path for this critical project. 'Several tonnes of domestic and commercial waste are being generated daily in Mohali, creating a serious challenge. With the closure of the city's dumping ground following High Court orders, all waste is now piling up at RMC (resource management centre) points, crippling the sanitation system and posing a major public health risk,' he said. Mayor Sidhu pointed out that although a contract for waste processing was awarded to a Panchkula-based company, the increasing volume of waste has overwhelmed the firm's capacity, leading to delays in timely processing. To offer a long-term solution, the Municipal Corporation has identified 50 acres of land at Samgauli for setting up the proposed CBG plant. He said, 'PMIDC has already been appointed as the nodal agency for this project. The only hurdle now is the pending approval from the Local Government Department.' Sidhu appealed for swift clearance to kickstart the project, which, he asserted, would reduce the city's mounting garbage issue and also contribute to sustainable energy generation.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Mohali MC to rope in private hand to drive waste segregation
Stung by a dismal performance in the 2024 Swachhta Survekshan rankings, the Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) is ramping up efforts to ensure proper waste segregation at source, one of its weakest waste management areas, by roping in a private player for door-to-door garbage collection for the first time. Garbage strewn around on roadsides across the city points to the long road ahead for Mohali in managing its daily waste effectively. (Sanjeev Sharma/HT) Currently, garbage collection in the city remains disorganised, with both sanitation workers and residents failing to segregate waste at source. In the rankings announced on July 17, Mohali fell to the 128th spot among 903 cities with population between 50,000 and 3 lakh — a sharp drop from 82nd last year. Within Punjab, it slipped to the 11th spot among 35 cities, compared to first place last year among cities with over 1 lakh population. Mohali scored 69.93% — earning 8,742 out of 12,500 marks — compared to last year's 82.72% (6,204.20 out of 7,500). Officials attributed the poor performance largely to non-segregation of waste at source and poor processing of waste generated —two key parameters in the central government's cleanliness survey. Tech-enabled monitoring MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh said, 'For the first time, we are privatising door-to-door garbage collection and will float tenders next week. Our aim is to implement an end-to-end, tech-enabled, efficient waste management system in compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.' As part of the plan, sanitation workers will sensitise households about waste segregation. Each household will be assigned a QR code, and violations, such as mixing wet and dry waste, will be logged in real-time via a mobile app with time and date. Repeat violations will be escalated to MC sanitary inspectors. Collection vehicles will be required to have separate compartments for wet and dry waste and deliver it to Material Recovery Facilities without mixing. Any violation, including mixing of waste post-collection, will attract strict penalties as per the Service Level Agreement. Three plants set up for waste processing To improve processing, MC has also set up two waste management facilities at Shahimajra and Jagatpura villages, where shed construction and machinery installation is complete. A Panchkula-based agency has been hired to install waste sorting equipment at both sites. While dry waste will be processed here, wet waste will be sent to another shed in Phase 3A. The Shahimajra plant has a daily processing capacity of 40 tonnes and the Jagatpura facility can handle 80 tonnes per day. These steps come in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana high court ordering closure of the Phase 8-B dumping ground, leaving the city with no designated dump. CSR-funded park upkeep Meanwhile, in a bid to improve park maintenance and reduce financial strain, MC has also decided to hand over five major city parks to private companies under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model. Mohali currently has 798 parks, including 39 designated as 'Special Parks' and 194 maintained by Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs). The plan is to bring 604 parks, including all 39 Special Parks and 565 others, under CSR to enhance upkeep and transparency.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
ED attaches shares worth ₹127 crore in case linked to ex-Trinamool MP
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached shares worth ₹127.33 crore in two Panchkula-based immovable properties, Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital, allegedly beneficially owned by the son of former Trinamool Congress MP Kanwar Deep Singh. 'The attachment forms part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving Alchemist Group, its directors, promoters, and associated entities, in relation to a large-scale fraud and misappropriation of public funds. The ED initiated the investigation based on a first information report initially registered by the Kolkata police, and subsequently by the Central Bureau of Investigation,' said the agency on Wednesday. The CBI case was against Alchemist Township Private Limited, Alchemist Infra Realty Private Limited, and promoter/ directors of the Alchemist Group, including Mr. Singh and others. 'Fraudulent schemes' 'The case pertains to an alleged large-scale criminal conspiracy to defraud investors by illegally raising funds through fraudulent collective investment schemes, offering unusually high returns, and/or making false promises of allotting plots, flats, and villas,' alleged the ED. According to the ED, through these schemes, Alchemist Holdings Limited and Alchemist Township India Limited 'illegally' collected about ₹1,848 crore from unsuspecting investors and subsequently misappropriated the funds for unauthorised purposes. The ED probe revealed that the allegedly misappropriated funds were systematically layered through complex financial transactions involving group entities of the Alchemist Group. The funds were used for 'the acquisition of shares and subsequent construction of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital'. 'The transactions were deliberately structured to project these assets as legitimate, thereby disguising the proceeds of crime. The shares of Alchemist Hospital and Ojas Hospital are held to the extent of 40.94% and 37.24% respectively, by Sorus Agritech Private Limited, a company beneficially owned by Karan Deep Singh, son of Kanwar Deep Singh,' it said.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Indian Express
Forcing elderly parents to live in fear, without care, on own property constitutes gross human rights violation: Haryana panel
Forcing elderly parents to live in fear, without food or care, on their own property constitutes a gross violation of their human rights, the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has ruled while referring a case of a Panchkula-based elderly couple to the police commissioner. 'The psychological abuse, denial of basic necessities, and coercion to surrender property against their will is not only morally reprehensible but also legally indefensible,' Justice Lalit Batra, Chairperson of the commission, noted in an order released on Monday. The commission asked the Panchkula police to give immediate protection to Arjan Dev Aggarwal, 82, and his wife Vijay Aggarwal, 72, who have approached it seeking urgent intervention against alleged harassment, neglect, and abandonment by their son and daughter-in-law. The couple, residents of Panchkula Sector 9, alleged that their son and daughter-in-law used abusive language against them and that their children who reside in the same house do not care for and support them 'despite [their] advanced age and serious health ailments including multiple surgeries'. The couple further alleged that their son and daughter-in-law pressured them to transfer ownership of their self-acquired residential property and taunted them to leave for an old age home. The commission said in the order that a false case of domestic violence had also been filed to harass the elderly couple. Referring to various legal provisions under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007, the commission said, 'Senior citizens unable to maintain themselves are entitled to claim maintenance from their adult children. The obligation of such children extends to ensuring that the parent may lead a normal life. Where the child or relative is in possession of the property or stands to inherit it, the duty to maintain becomes binding and proportional.' The commission's order further stated, 'Where a senior citizen has transferred property subject to the condition of being cared for and such care is not provided, the transfer is deemed to have been made under coercion or undue influence and is liable to be declared void by the Senior Citizen Tribunal.' 'Whoever having the care or protection of a senior citizen leaves and abandons senior citizen with the intention to wholly abandoning them is punishable with imprisonment or fine,' the order read. The commission recommended that the matter be urgently forwarded to the Panchkula deputy commissioner with the directions to provide the elderly couple with immediate protection through the police or other authorities, 'ensuring that they are not subject to further harassment or abuse'. The commission also recommended that the deputy commissioner 'expedite the proceedings pending before the Senior Citizen Tribunal, Panchkula, and extend all necessary administrative support so that the complainants may obtain effective relief without delay'. The commission also sought an action-taken report before the next date of hearing in the matter, September 23, 2025.
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
GMCH fails to recover ₹15 lakh from B-block canteen contractor
Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, is on the verge of losing ₹15 lakh to a Panchkula-based contractor who was running the canteen in B-block of the hospital. The official questioned why the hospital administration did not act sooner. (HT File) The contractor, Tarsem Gupta, M/s Raunak hospitalities, Abdulpur, Pinjore, Panchkula, had faltered on the monthly rent on multiple occasions and by November 2024, his outstanding amount had run into ₹59.5 lakh. The hospital administration recovered a part of it by forfeiting his security deposit of ₹28.7 lakh in January 2025, but ₹15 lakh still remains unpaid. The contractor was finally blacklisted in June. Those in the know of the tender technicalities are criticising the hospital's alleged leniency in the matter. One such official said the outstanding amount is usually not allowed to cross the security deposit as it poses challenges in recovery. The official questioned why the hospital administration did not act sooner. The said official further said the contractor took the hospital for a ride. GMCH had first issued a notice to the contractor in September 2024, and a termination letter on November 18, 2024, citing the ₹59.50 lakh dues. However, it put the termination on hold after the contractor assured payment by December 10. But instead of paying up, the contractor moved the district court against the termination. The court dismissed his plea on March 17, 2025, after which he vacated the canteen. Since then, the canteen has been non-functional, leaving patients and attendants visiting the outpatient department (OPD) in the lurch, besides causing a huge revenue loss to the government exchequer. The B-block canteen is the biggest of all three canteens in the institute and fetches the highest rent. Director principal of the institute, Dr AK Atri said, 'As per procedure, we have written to the local authority for recovery of the dues from the defaulter. The amount will be recovered.' However, the DC can act only if the contractor owns property in Chandigarh. DC Nishant Kumar Yadav said, 'We will get the matter examined. We will see whether the firm or company owns any property in Chandigarh. In case they do, their property will be declared as arrears of land revenue. In case the company does not have any property in Chandigarh, we will send the case back to GMCH administration.' The notice of the estate branch of GMCH-32 shows the contractor's address as Pinjore, Panchkula.
