City open, Panchkula, Mohali closed today

• Mobile Internet, SMS services restored in UT, to remain suspended in Panchkula, Mohali
• Educational institutions closed, govt offices open in Mohali and Panchkula
• Security apparatus to remain for another week, no restriction on movement within tricity
• Delhi, local bus services restored; train services partial

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27

All educational institutions, barring a few private ones that have declared holiday on their own, and offices will remain open in Chandigarh on Monday while those in riot-hit Panchkula and adjoining Mohali will remain closed tomorrow as a preventive measure. However, the government offices will function as usual in Panchkula and Mohali on Monday.

While the mobile Internet and SMS services, which had been suspended for the past three days, were restored in Chandigarh this evening, the same in Haryana and Punjab will remain suspended for another 24 hours till Monday evening.

The bus service to Delhi and CTU local bus service was also restored on Sunday while the train services were restored partially. While five passenger trains, including the evening Shatabdi Express from Delhi arrived at Chandigarh railway station on Sunday, the Station Superintendent TP Singh told The Tribune that in the absence of any fresh order till this evening, the train services are likely to remain suspended on Monday as well.

Even as the tricity region, comprising Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, continue to remain peaceful on Sunday with the life limping back to normal, the security apparatus in place will continue for another week, the UT DGP Tajender Singh Luthra told The Tribune.

He disclosed that the deployment of 5,000 policemen, including 3,000 local and 2,000 paramilitary personnel, will continue to guard the city and 28 nakas (check points), including 13 inter-state nakas on Punjab, Haryana borders will also remain in place for another week.

“It is a preventive measure to avoid any possible loss to the life and property in the UT even though we had been able to maintain the law-and-order situation and keep the city completely peaceful despite widespread violence and arson in adjoining Panchkula,” Luthra said.

He clarified that there was no restriction on the movement of vehicles between Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali and the nakas in place were only meant to keep surveillance on the activities of anti-social elements, if any. “The policemen on checking duty had been clearly told not to harass public and resort to checking only in case they find any suspicious movement,” the UT DGP added.

Similarly, Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi said the 23 executive magistrates, who had been deployed in the UT for the past three days, would continue to remain on duty for another few days till further orders. “The situation is totally under control and there is nothing to worry but still we don’t want to take any chances in view of the current situation in the adjoining states,” the DC told The Tribune.

The UT Administration has pressed into service 17 ambulances, 6 fire engines, 14 water canons, 14 riot control Vajra vehicles, 42 public address systems and 42 high-definition cameras in Chandigarh since Friday. “These all preventive measures will also continue to remain in place till further orders,” the UT Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Kumar Gupta told The Tribune. Similarly, Panchkula Deputy Commissioners Gauri Parasher Joshi and her Mohali counterpart Gurpreet Kaur Sapra told The Tribune that situation in both districts was totally under control and peaceful.

NORMALCY RETURNS

Even as the tricity region continued to remain peaceful with normalcy returning, the roads, markets, public places, malls, bus stands and railway stations continue to wear a deserted look. Sensing trouble and Friday’s widespread violence and arson in Panchkula, which had claimed at least 32 lives and left more than 250 injured, still fresh in their minds, most of the local residents preferred to stay indoors except venturing out for unavoidable reasons.

Air ticket fares normalise, additional flights cleared

Now the air tickets from Chandigarh to Delhi are available at normal rates. According to a travel agent, the rates of air tickets from Chandigarh to Delhi range between Rs 3,650 and Rs 7,000. Notably, the air ticket rates on the route had touched the figure of Rs 15,000 a couple of days ago. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation has advised airlines to “keep a check on air fares” on the sectors with flights connecting Chandigarh, Jammu and Jaipur. It has cleared an additional flight on the Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi of Vistara for Sunday and one on Delhi-Chandigarh-Delhi and Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi of Vistara for Monday. TNS/IANS

UT TO OPPOSE DERA HEAD’S SHIFTING

The UT Administration will oppose any possible shifting of the convicted Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to the PGI, Chandigarh, for treatment. “It is likely that after being sentenced on Monday, the convicted self-styled godman may seek shifting from jail to the PGI on health grounds as he was already complaining of back problem but we will not allow this to happen as it will disturb our peace and order,” a top UT functionary told The Tribune.

Mohali DC warns of strict action

"Though everything is normal here in our district, still we do not want to take any chance. Strict action will be taken against educational institutes defying the orders." Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, Mohali Deputy Commissioner