Kataria calls for team to boost cybersecurity

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday stressed the need to create a dedicated and trained team to strengthen cybersecurity.

He observed this while chairing a meeting of the chairpersons of the standing committees of the Administrator’s Advisory Council here today.

At the meeting, he reviewed major developmental initiatives, social welfare measures, law and order, and citizen-centric issues.

The Law and Order Standing Committee, chaired by Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu suggested that measures to combat cyber fraud be taken by the Chandigarh Police. Chandigarh DGP Sagar Preet Hooda briefed the council on ongoing public awareness campaigns.

‘Increase night patrolling’

Kataria called for increasing night patrolling and the creation of a dedicated, trained team to strengthen cybersecurity, observing that cyber frauds erode public trust.

The Social Welfare Standing Committee, chaired by Satya Pal Jain, discussed key issues such as the revision of pension benefits for nearly 25,000 families, allocation of land for Majdoor Bhavan, evening dispensaries and the management of stray cattle.

Officials told the council that efforts were underway to rehabilitate beggars, trace missing children and upgrade Prayas Building in Sector 38.

The Administrator suggested providing psychiatric counseling to child beggars to aid their recovery, build confidence and enable them share their backgrounds more comfortably, which would also assist the police in investigations.

The Environment Standing Committee, chaired by Gian Chand Gupta, stressed further strengthening of waste management systems, construction and demolition waste handling, use of treated water, expansion of green cover, control of air pollution and discouragement of single-use plastic.

‘Excessive non-teaching work’

Officials reported that several systems have already been improved while others are nearing completion.

The Education Standing Committee, chaired by Jatinder Pal Malhotra, raised concerns related to excessive non-teaching workload on teachers, promotions, delays in decision-making, introduction of skill-based courses, and improvement of sports infrastructure.

The Administrator agreed to the necessary upgrades. Officials apprised those present of the progress on promotions, skill-based education, audits and development of schools under various central government schemes.

The Art, Culture, Tourism & Heritage Standing Committee, chaired by Harmohinder Singh Lucky, called for improved inter-departmental coordination and a unified approach to tourism development. The Administrator assured better execution mechanisms.

The Transportation Standing Committee, headed by Vijay Pal, discussed the need for dedicated parking spaces and stops for three-wheelers, extension of incentives under the Electric Vehicle Policy, improvements to cycle tracks, and employment concerns arising from the induction of e-buses.

The Sports Standing Committee, chaired by Sanjay Tandon, deliberated on cash awards, scholarships, indoor sports facilities, establishment of chess centres, promotion of yoga activities, dissemination of Olympic values, and optimal utilization of school playgrounds.

The Urban Infrastructure and City Planning Standing Committee, chaired by Anup Gupta, stressed the importance of future-ready infrastructure, ease of doing business, development of smart parks and sports facilities, improved vending solutions, and enhanced concrete road connectivity.

The Health Standing Committee, chaired by Dr Raj Bahadur, reviewed delays in specialized health services due to recruitment-related issues. The Administrator directed the departments concerned to hold consultations and resolve the matter expeditiously.

‘Improve city entry points’

The Peripheral Area Development Standing Committee, chaired by Subhash Chawla, highlighted the need for improvements at entry points to the city, better amenities at the Rally Ground in Sector 25, establishment of a temporary police station, and control of stray cattle entering Chandigarh from other areas.