Tricity buzz: HT Chandigarh reporters’ tracker on all those making, or faking, news

Thieves target clothes put out to dry, Mohali police officers worried after boss tests positive, politics set to take centre stage in Chandigarh, and more...

Thieves target clothes put out to dry!

Drying clothes in the sun? Well, just be watchful as there are a few people moving about Chandigarh stealing clothes. A woman resident of Burail in Sector 45 recently reported one such theft. She told the police that initially she thought the clothes may have been blown away by the wind but the CCTV camera footage showed a youngster approaching her house and walking away with the clothes!

Mohali police officers worried after boss tests positive

As news of Mohali senior superintendent of Police (SSP) Satinder Singh testing positive for Covid-19 spread, senior officials of the district police department started calling up journlists, asking them when he had tested positive, whether he was in hospital or quarantined at home, and if he had high fever or mild symptoms. One of the officers said, “We had regular meetings with the boss. Now we are worried about ourselves.” For the record, the SSP tested positive on Friday and is quarantined at home.

Politics set to take centre stage in Chandigarh

The chill may have set in but the political temperature is set to rise in Chandigarh. First within the BJP, the ruling party in the municipal corporation, will see contenders for the post of mayor fighting it out, albeit mostly behind closed doors. But the real political battle will be set up with the UT Administration ready to roll out the list of new MC wards as the delimitation process nears completion. “The focus of the media and the public will shift from administration to political activity in the coming weeks,” a senior UT bureaucrat said, requesting anonymity.

It’s back to business at Elante Mall, and how

Chandigarh’s go-to destination, Elante, wore a desolate look for most part of the year due to the Covid lockdown but that seems to be a thing of the past for the mall in Industrial Area Phase 1 is back in business, literally. According to data shared by Nexus Malls, 22% of the 200-odd stores in Elante had more sales this Diwali as compared to last year. Anil Malhotra, the executive director of corporate affairs and hospitality at Nexus Malls, said that categories such as electronics, homeware, cosmetics and fashion did best. “Customers are spending more this year even if the footfall is half as compared to 2019. We had the highest-ever spend per footfall during Dhanteras this time,” he said.

How GMCH-32 sanitation workers’ strike fizzled out

The strike by 300 sanitation workers kept authorities of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, on their toes for three days. The workers wanted immediate grant of Diwali bonus that they had received continuously for the past five years. Officials said that the agitation ended without any benefit to workers and due to interference of an employee of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research who misled the demonstrators into believing that stopping sanitation services will push the authorities to pay the bonus. However, emergency work went on as the outsourced agency hired 20 workers to ensure maintenance. Finally, the authorities terminated the services of six workers to end the strike.

Karamjeet Singh still a member of PU syndicate?

The name of former registrar of Panjab University, Karamjeet Singh, still appears on the list of syndicate members of PU on its official website. Karamjeet Singh was appointed vice-chancellor of Punjab State Open University in September after which the additional charge of registrar of PU was given to Vikram Nayyar, who is PU’s finance and development officer (FDO).

Inputs by Hillary Victor, Munieshwer A Sagar, Shailee Dogra, Rajanbir Singh, Amanjeet Singh and Dar Ovais