Category: News

Chandigarh is on the radar of Youtube India!

Are you a YouTuber? Are you planning to be one? Most importantly, are you from Chandigarh? If the answer to all these questions is Yes, then I have got some great news for you!

YouTube India has come up with a new campaign. It is called “See Something New from Chandigarh”. The focus of this campaign is to promote and encourage new content creators from the region.

YouTube India

This campaign was launched by Satya Raghavan, Head of Entertainment Content of YouTube India. Talking about the campaign, he said that the reason behind this is the rapid growth of content from the region.

“The Punjabi content is growing at a rapid pace on YouTube, and it especially grew in the year 2016. Earlier, it would be only related to songs, but now the people are coming up with content about food, technology and comedy which is very encouraging,” said Satya Raghavan, Head of Entertainment Content.

Of late, many talented individuals from the city have launched their YouTube channels. Sahil Khattar from Chandigarh hosts a YouTube channel for Being Indian. The channel has a million subscribers and is very popular with the youth. Also available on YouTube are various channels related to cookery, music and fashion.

There are almost 400 million Internet users in India. Further, according to various statistics 55 per cent of this Internet consumption comes by way of smartphones. 220 million users are connected with smartphones for using internet only.

So what are you waiting for? Get that YouTube channel of yours up and running!
Another International Flight: A direct flight from Chandigarh to Bangkok
Chandigarh is gearing towards travelling abroad with ease. Another international flight is out from Chandigarh to Bangkok. Air India announces a direct flight from Chandigarh to Bangkok. The flight will take off from Chandigarh International Airport.

As of now, there are only two international flights from Chandigarh. One to Dubai and the other one to Sharjah. By May, 2017 there will be three international flights commencing from Chandigarh International Airport. The direct flight from Chandigarh to Bangkok will carry the passengers to its destination for four days in a week.

Assets of direct flight from Chandigarh to Bangkok
- The flight will save time for passengers travelling to Bangkok as earlier they had to swift through Delhi Airport.
- It will also help to avoid extra expenses charged while travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi to board the flight.
- It is a boon for the leisure travellers as well.
Chandigarh to Bangkok Direct Flight Details
- The expenses for travelling from Chandigarh to Bangkok by Air India will cost approximately Rs.25000/-.
- The flight will sprint for four days in a week.
- The scheduling of the flight has not been done yet we’ll be updating it soon.
Advancements at Chandigarh International Airport

Besides the new flights launching every day, there are few more facilities being introduced at the Chandigarh International Airport. ATM and Wifi for passengers convenience will be installed shortly. BSNL has already been appointed to work for the wifi facility.

Air India is also talking about a direct flight from Chandigarh to Singapore but the final decision is not yet out. Whereas the direct flight from Chandigarh to Bangkok will surely take off by May this year.
Jet Airways announces non-stop Chandigarh to Jaipur flight

Chandigarh International Airport has become the favourite for all the airlines. Chandigarh is getting connecting to different parts across the world through domestic and international flights. Jet Airways announces non-stop Chandigarh to Jaipur flight from 26^th March, 2017.

Connecting Chandigarh to Jaipur flight

Chandigarh is ready to travel to the Pink City by air. Rajasthan is a major tourist attraction for all the people across the country. Tourists travelling to Jaipur can travel easily without any long journey hours. Jet Airways announced direct flight to Jaipur from March 26^th 2017. Earlier people were commuting through trains or buses but it is made easier to travel by plane. Apart from connecting the Royal City to City Beautiful, it will also help in increase in handcraft business from Jaipur. The flights will operate daily.

FLIGHT PLANS

The flight taking off from Chandigarh to Jaipur will approximately take 1:30 hour and the scheduling of the flights have not been done yet. We’ll shortly update you with the plans. Presently there are no direct flights operating from the city to Jaipur so this is a boon for the people who love travelling.

EXPENSES

A one way trip between Chandigarh and Jaipur will cost approximately Rs. 3000.

Earlier people had to halt at Delhi for travelling to Jaipur from Chandigarh and now there will be no halting people could travel directly and explore the Pink City. Jet Airways is launching the first non-stop Chandigarh to Jaipur flight from 26^th March 2017. The recent development of Chandigarh International Airport has led to a list of flights connecting Chandigarh to different parts of the country.

Daily Flights from Chandigarh to Hyderabad and Chennai

Chandigarh International Airport is out with some more flights. Now Chandigarh is ready to fly from the city to other metropolitan cities. Indigo announces Chandigarh to Hyderabad and Chennai flight from 20th February 2017.

Connecting Chandigarh to Hyderabad and Chennai flight

Chandigarh is getting connected to different parts of the country this is going to help the corporate as well as the public making travelling easier. Indigo announced two direct flights to Hyderabad and Chennai from February 20^th,2017. The flights will operate daily.

FLIGHT PLANS

ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	PLACE	AIRWAYS	DAYS
04:35 PM	02:15 PM	CHD-HYD	INDIGO	DAILY
01:45 PM	11:10 AM	HYD-CHD	INDIGO	DAILY
06:55 PM	02:15 PM	CHD-Via HYD-CHE	INDIGO	DAILY
09:30 AM	01:45 PM	CHE-Via HYD-CHD	INDIGO	DAILY

Presently there are no direct flights operating from the city to Hyderabad and Chennai so this is a boon for the people who love travelling.

EXPENSES

A one-way trip between Hyderabad and Chennai will cost Rs. 2999. The fare from Chennai to Chandigarh will be Rs 4,152 while from Chandigarh, it will cost Rs 4,059. The Prices are subject to change according to the seat availability with a course of time.

With this, as many as 32 new domestic flights will start from the city, beginning February 20.

Chandigarh to host 15th International Puppet Festival!

“When I was a kid, I never saw a puppet show. But now that I have grown up, I wish I had.”

But is it ever too late? You can never be too grown up for anything. After all, age is just a number. To fulfil your wishes of seeing a puppet show, I have an exciting news to share. The 15th International Puppet Festival is coming to Chandigarh! Yes, you read that right!

Chandigarh will host the 15th edition of the International Puppet Festival at Tagore Theatre from 3rd to 6th February. The festival is organised by Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust annually at different parts of the country. Artists in the field of puppetry come from all corners of the world to perform here. And the best part? The tickets to the festival are absolutely free!

The line-up for the show is also available on the Trust’s Facebook page.

International Puppet Festival

On the first day of the event, the show ‘The Theft of Sita’ will be performed by Sanggar Paripurna Puppet Theatre. The group is from Indonesia and performs regularly at various international festivals. The act will be a modern spin to the epic mythological drama ‘Ramayana’ through a puppet show.

The second day will see the famous Fairouz Just as Puppet Theatre from Palestine on the stage. They will be performing ‘Home, Sweet Home’ which is based on 2 traditional Palestinian folk tales. This show has also been a hit at their various performances worldwide as it is filled with fun, adventure and fantasy of many mischievous puppets.

Further, the third day’s performance will have an Indian theatre group on stage. The Kuch Kuch Puppet Theatre will perform ‘Hamara Circus’ at Tagore Theatre exclusively. This act will see lots of interesting things and objects coming to life.

The fourth and the final day of the event will perhaps have the most beautiful show of all. ‘The Lantern Festival’ will be performed by Chin Fei Feng Marionette Theatre Troupe from Taiwan. This act will showcase the New year celebration of Taiwanese and Chinese through puppets.

So Chandigarh, what are you waiting for? Clear out your schedules from 3-6 February from 6:30 pm onward and revel in the world of puppets!
#News: Chandigarh to construct five more cycling roundabouts

The Engineering Department will soon construct five more cycling roundabouts after the successful cycling roundabout at Sector 26 Grain market to make the cycling friendly city. All the five roundabouts will be made at the Madhya Marg. Soon Sector 26-27, Sector 7-8, Sector 19-27, Sector 19-18, Sector 16-17, Sector 10-9 Matka Chowk, Sector 11-10, Sector 16-15 and Sector 12-11, 14-15 PGI roundabouts rotary will be having cycling track.

Cycling Roundabouts in Chandigarh

The Department of Architecture has submitted the designs of the cycling tracks to Engineering Department. Estimate of the project was decided after the drawings sent from Department of Architecture. The successful cycling track at Sector 26 led the Engineering Department to construct five more cycling roundabouts in the city.

Approximately 30 Lakhs will be spent on each roundabout to make mobility of cycles easy at these roundabouts. The estimate for all the roundabouts will be different and different tenders will be appointed, this is basically meant to make different companies work together on a large scale. This way the construction will be completed within time duration provided.

The size of the cycling track will be similar to that of Sector 26 already constructed. The traffic rules will also be the same as followed at Sector 26 that at green the cycles or rickshaws will move and at the red light, the rest of the traffic shall move.

Administrator of Engineering Department has allotted the city into 8 zones and creating V1, V2 and V3 roads to construct 60 km cycling track. After the tender is passed the work will soon start to develop the city into a Smart City. Apart from this the cycling tracks at different roundabouts estimate are ready.

The police will help the cyclists use the tracks without any difficulty by asking the commuters not to use the track meant for the cyclists.
Chandigarh’s boxer wins first National Youth Boxing Championship!

Boxer Sawan Gill’s story seems like straight out of a Bollywood movie. Seven years ago he started boxing. At first, he competed in the 40 kg category. Then every year the weight category kept increasing. Seven years until now when he finally competed in the 91 kg category.

National youth boxing championship

But that is not all. As soon as Gill boxed in this category, he also became the National champion. That’s right. The last five years saw no youth nationals for boxing in the country. Why? Well, mostly because of internal politics and red tapism. But 2017 is different. India held its first ever All India National Youth Boxing Championship. It was organised by the Boxing Federation of India in New Delhi. And this was all the motivation Sawan Gill needed to come out on top. He defeated Himmat of Services 5-0 and was crowned the champion.

Gill shares his experience with me. He says that the last couple of months were difficult. He has been training intensively and the results are for the country to see. Gill trains at the Boxing Training Centre in Sector-42. All of 16 years, he has an interesting anecdote to tell. He tells me that earlier this month he had lost to Himmat in the School Nationals. This takes me by surprise and before I can ask he replies- “I trained extremely hard after my loss. A win over a Services boxer has surely helped me boost my lost confidence.” he smiles.

His smile still has that childlike innocence despite his tall frame. He is 6’2 feet tall and a student at S.D. Public School, Sector-32. “I have been gaining weight and this also one of the reasons why my category keeps changing year after year. But I have learned to adjust. I am just happy that this win has guaranteed a spot in the National team and I will be attending the National camp,” he shares before he signs off.

Well, talking to him surely leaves one inspired and confident that this young pugilist will surely leave a mark.

Good luck, champ!
Online submission of documents for Driving License or Registration of cars

No more standing in queues to get your Driving License or Registration of cars. Now an online appointment can be taken for Driving License or Registration of cars like a passport. From the month of February, the system will be launched for online appointments.

According to Rakesh Popli the Registration and Licensing Authority, an online system is being launched for the convenience of the public. The transport Department is taking an initiative towards Organ Donation as well. In the application form, people will be asked for organ donation and the answer will also be mentioned on their D/L.

Online Application

A Software Sarathi 4.0 will be launched for online application. Through this software, the documents could be submitted online by scanning or clicking photograph through your mobile phone. After the submission of the documents, a particular date will be provided for the verification of the documents at the office.

Express Counter

Two separate Express Counters are introduced for the online applicants. The applicants could get their documented verified and submit fees for getting their D/L.

The introduction of this online system was important because Chandigarh has always experienced difficulty in getting their driving license or registration of cars. Now no more crippling and people can their registration is done at a quicker pace.

Later on, the Registration Licensing Authority will be introducing E-Payment portal for the public to submit the fees online. People could also fill their other road taxes through this online portal. The Licensing Authority has proposed for this operation. After the permission of the Government, an online website will be created for the purpose.
PEC Chandigarh is all set to have first Smart City Innovation Centre

Chandigarh to all set to have its first Smart City Innovation Centre. The Government is funding for all the purposes to develop Chandigarh in a Smart City. These Smart Cities have the latest technology in every field. The Smart City Innovation Centre is being prepared by the Chandigarh Administration where all the latest Technology will be seen to develop the city.

This Centre will be located in Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12 Chandigarh. The project to develop this Innovation Centre was proposed by the students of PEC and it has been approved by the Administrator V.P. Singh Badhnaur.

Different Companies will be invited to this Innovation Centre from the world to display to their technology. The Companies will be provided with particular free space and Wifi facility to display their technology which will be included in the Smart City Projects. People would visit this Innovation centre and know how the technology works. The residents will be able to view the latest technology at their vicinity, they don’t have travel to know about the latest technology. For example: If smart Lighting project has to be started or any new public transport facilities are to be launched. The centre will contact the companies dealing with such fields to display the technology.

After six months this amazingly unique Smart City Innovation centre would be ready.According to Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal, this will be the first Smart City Innovation Centre where all the latest technology will be displayed. This will be a boon for other countries as well and they could also come to visit in Technology Park.

The city is about to develop into Smart City as Smart LED’s are being introduced at every roads, markets and park. Out of all the poles, approximately 400 Poles will be Smart having CCTV cameras, Wifi, Mobile signals and many more facilities. These smart LED”s will prevent robbery, eve teasing and other criminal issues. The Companies participating in this project will also be allowed to display their technology at the Innovation Centre.
#News: Go ‘smart’ with LED streetlights in Chandigarh!

If all goes well, We will soon have “smart” LED streetlights in Chandigarh. Yes, you read that right! The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has decided to replace its existing streetlights with new smart ones.

So what is so special about these LED Streetlights in Chandigarh?

LED streetlights in Chandigarh

Well, first of all, these new street lights are said to be more energy efficient than the existing ones. The total energy consumed by the existing streetlights is 2,31,33,710 kilowatt per hour per annum. Further, the total electricity bill paid by the municipal corporation is Rs 12.64 crore annually.

If the reports are to be believed, the installation of these smart LED streetlights in Chandigarh will reduce this amount by 50-60%.

That is not all. Further, these street lights will have a centralized control and monitoring system (CCMS) facility to control the street lighting system of the civic body. With this, all the streetlights would be switched on and off at the flick of a single switch by using state of the art GPRS technology. Dimming of individual or group of lights at late night as required, informing the on-off status and generating alert during fault can also be done very easily.

What is the cost of the project?

LED streetlights in Chandigarh

There are approximately 48,000 light points in Chandigarh, including sodium vapor lamp, metal halide, CFL, and FIL. So the entire cost of the project comes around to Rs. 50 crore. However, fret not. The entire cost of the project, including the maintenance charges and infrastructure development charges, would be borne by Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL). Thus, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh will not be financing this footfall. Further, in a case of any defect, the EESL will rectify it in a maximum time period of 48 hours.

So how long do we have to wait to go the smart way?

Well, it depends on go ahead. The agenda for a go-ahead to this project will be tabled today at the House meeting. After all the details have been ironed out, the project will follow soonafter.