Vivek Gupta is a senior correspondent at Chandigarh. He covers Panchkula, besides writing on medical education.
Articles by Vivek Gupta
200 illegal guest houses in Chandigarh villages to be shut down
MC commissioner has approved the estate wing file and necessary action will follow.
Updated on Mar 06, 2020 01:41 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
Chandigarh MC to take over Jaypee-run waste plant in a week
The civic body decides against dismantling the existing plant, plans to upgrade it
Updated on Mar 05, 2020 12:55 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Vehicles not in designated parking lots to be towed away: Chandigarh MC
The fine for wrong parking in Chandigarh is ₹1,500 for four wheelers and ₹700 for two wheelers
Updated on Mar 04, 2020 01:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
No one paying up for 38% potable water in Chandigarh
Leakages, water theft leading to losses; MC commissioner says 24-hour water supply project under Smart City Limited will plug them
Updated on Mar 03, 2020 12:54 AM IST
Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Audit stops Chandigarh civic body from splurging ₹30L a month on cleaning Plaza
Contract was awarded for 3 months without floating tender to Lions Services Limited after evacuation of street vendors in December
Published on Mar 02, 2020 12:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Smart City Mission: Chandigarh signs MoU with sister city Ahmedabad
UT, ranked 81, will borrow technical know-how, learn better execution of projects, take feedback on municipal reforms from the No. 1 city
Published on Mar 01, 2020 12:56 AM IST
Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh MC fire department finalises fire-safety norms for PGs
The development comes a day after the UT administration made it mandatory for those running these facilities to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the fire department in the wake of the fire tragedy at a PG facility in Sector 32 last Saturday, which claimed lives of three girl students
Published on Mar 01, 2020 12:53 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Adviser tells Chandigarh MC to make fire NOC mandatory for PGs
Currently, the fire NOC is required only for commercial, industrial, institutional buildings and multi-storey residential buildings
Updated on Feb 27, 2020 12:48 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh MC scraps contract with Jaypee, to set up new waste plant in a year
Municipal commissioner KK Yadav said the termination notice will be issued to Jaypee Group on Wednesday, giving the Delhi-based firm a month to vacate the premises.
Published on Feb 26, 2020 01:03 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
Chandigarh MC House slashes hefty water tariff hike
Overall hike capped at 50%, down from 300% okayed in December; MC chief registers dissent
Published on Feb 26, 2020 01:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
CHB’s costliest housing scheme in Sec 53 gets thumbs down
After a poor response, prices of the flats were slashed to woo buyers, but even after 4 months only 178 applications were received for 492 flats
Published on Feb 25, 2020 12:49 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh Housing Board offers two blocks of high-end flats to Haryana MLAs
Spread over seven acres, the project will have 12 blocks with each consisting 28 four-bedroom, hall and kitchen (4-BHK) flats along with a servant quarter.
Published on Feb 24, 2020 01:28 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
Norms go up in smoke as illegal PGs mushroom in Chandigarh
Girl students were packed like sardines in rooms partitioned with flammable wall panels in the three-storeyed unregistered paying guest facility in Sector 32 that witnessed a fire tragedy on Saturday, claiming three lives. In fact, it was a tragedy waiting to happen, confirms initial probe.
Published on Feb 23, 2020 01:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
450 vehicles for door-to-door segregated waste collection in Chandigarh soon
Since the MC did not have adequate funds to buy the vehicles, the Chandigarh Smart City Limited had agreed to fund the project
Published on Feb 22, 2020 12:35 AM IST
Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh MC chief sacks data entry operators hired sans typing test
At least 40 such staffers were hired on contract since 2018, when typing speed of 35 words per minute was made mandatory
Published on Feb 20, 2020 12:12 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
BJP makes U-turn over water tariff hike in Chandigarh
To table amended agenda to slash hiked rates that were about to be notified
Updated on Feb 19, 2020 06:57 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Unable to complete targets, Chandigarh asks Centre to revise smart city plan
Chandigarh Smart City Limited has proposed the smart city plan’s revision from ₹6,500-crore to ₹2,300-crore
Updated on Feb 15, 2020 01:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh mayor gets dose of her own medicine
Residents ask Raj Bala Malik ‘can you walk on these streets’ as she recently courted controversy saying that she hardly found any city road in bad state; visited the village to take stock of civic issues being faced by residents
Updated on Feb 14, 2020 01:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh mayor says no to official residence, MC spends ₹3 lakh on makeover
Municipal corporation says annual renovation is part of mayor’s entitlement
Updated on Feb 14, 2020 01:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Smart city: Chandigarh among 20 worst performers
Placed in bottom 20 group among 100 smart cities has been paired with top performer Ahmedabad to benefit from its experience
Published on Feb 13, 2020 01:03 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
After Delhi triumph, AAP says it will contest 2021 Chandigarh MC polls
Confident after its thumping win in the Delhi assembly elections, the Chandigarh unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced its decision to contest the municipal elections next year in November. As jubilant AAP workers celebrated the win outside his Sector 20 home, party local convener Prem Garg told Hindustan Times here that they did not contest the previous elections in 2016 due to electoral compulsions in Punjab.
Updated on Feb 12, 2020 12:44 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
No record of ₹53 crore spent by cash-strapped Chandigarh MC: Audit
Details of expenditure from temporary advances along with supporting vouchers were also not submitted within a month after completion of the object/purpose.
Published on Feb 11, 2020 01:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
After a month in mayor’s chair, Malik has nothing concrete to show
Though she vowed to propel Chandigarh to the top in Swachh Survekshan, she has left much to be desired
Published on Feb 10, 2020 01:15 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
IT Park flats: Chandigarh Housing Board to also offer four-BHK flats
The flats are estimated to cost ₹3 crore.
Updated on Feb 05, 2020 01:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh MC renames study tours, allots ₹50 lakh
Sources in the MC said that the name has been changed to capacity building-cum-exposure programme to avoid criticism
Updated on Feb 04, 2020 12:41 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Union budget: Chandigarh MC’s hopes dashed, yet again
While civic body was looking for ₹1,073-cr grant from the Centre, it has been allocated just ₹425 cr
Updated on Feb 02, 2020 12:43 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Mechanised sweeping to begin in northern sectors of Chandigarh next week
We have received one machine and are expecting to get another in 2-3 days, says MC chief KK Yadav
Updated on Jan 30, 2020 01:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh to roll out bicycle sharing scheme in June
Chandigarh Smart City Limited allots work to Hyderabad-based firm that will execute project in multiple phases over 18 months
Published on Jan 28, 2020 12:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta, Chandigarh
Chandigarh councillors won’t get hiked honorarium retrospectively
admn notified 50% hike in august 2019, but councillors wanted it to be paid from 2015, on lines of punjab government
Published on Jan 23, 2020 12:45 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | Vivek Gupta
Chandigarh councillors gift themselves fuel freebie amid fund crunch
To get 100 litre fuel per month for personal vehicles; senior deputy and deputy mayor to get official vehicles; move to put ₹40 lakh annual burden on MC
Published on Jan 22, 2020 12:45 AM IST