Category: News

NewsBytes: Adminstation banned the use of Chinese Kite String

Chandigarh’s Administration has banned the sale and use of “maanjha/pakka dori” or “Chinese kite string” for flying kites in the city.

These ‘pakka thread/dori’ or ‘Chinese maanjha/Dori are made of synthetic material, and are non-biodegradable. They tend to cause serious injuries to human beings, and the migratory birds and are equally disadvantageous to the wildlife and environment.”

The District Magistrate says,“Chinese maanjhas’ or such other harmful substances for kite-flying are banned in Chandigarh for 60 days,”

The ban would come into force with immediate effect and would be effective till February 18, 2021. Any breach of the order would invite action.
NewsBytes: Mohali’s update on Social Gathering; 100 for indoor & 250 for outdoor events

The night curfew is still from 10 pm to 5 am and the closure timing of hotels,& restaurants by 9.30 pm till December 31. For Social gatherings, 100 are allowed for indoor events and 250 for outdoor.

Any violation of these guidelines shall be punishable under sections 51to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 besides legal action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

The total positive cases in the district are 17,203, of which 14,858 have been cured. The active cases in the district are 2,027. With no death today, the toll stands at 318 in the district.
NewsBytes: 700 trees will be axed for the Tribune Chownk Flyover

A year after the high court stayed the axing and transplanting of trees for Chandigarh’s first flyover at Tribune Chowk, the UT administration has decided to go ahead with the project at last.

The flyover is to be built from the GMCH-32 roundabout up to the railway overbridge near Hallomajra. In March 2019, the UT administrator had laid its foundation stone. However, NGO, The Run Club, moved the High Court for cutting of trees, The project got further delayed. Later the administration got busy in Covid-19 pandemic management.

Now, the UT adviser is submitting a report in the High Court before January 11, which is the next date of hearing. The report is in favor of constructing the flyover mainly stating “Earlier, 2,700 trees were to be axed, but now only 700 will be removed.”
NewsBytes: Chandigarh Citizen will have to register for COVID vaccine via an app

Chandigarh’s vaccination plan is set and out. And According to the plan, citizens wanting to receive the shot of vaccine have to register for it first via a smartphone app.

The plan also states the priorities of citizens who will be getting vaccines first. Initially, the vaccine will be given to healthcare workers first, then people over 50 and the comorbid population i.e. people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and other common comorbidities. While the list of registered healthcare workers is already being prepared by the govt., the remaining citizen will have to register in advance on the CoWin-20 mobile app.

Registration will be done through three methods – bulk registration, self-registration and registration through the survey.

Health and frontline workers are being registered through the bulk method.

After registration, an SMS will be sent with details of the vaccination session site, date, and time. Post-vaccination online certificates will be provided.

As of now, the vaccination sites are planned at GMSH-16, GMCH-32 and the civil hospitals. These may also be set up at government schools and community centers as the program are scaled up.

The session sites will have separate entry and exit points. “There will be three rooms for the vaccination process. In the first room, the registered person will be medically examined, while the vaccine will be administered in the second. Thereafter, the person will be under observation for 30 minutes in the third before being allowed to leave,” said Dr. Amandeep Kang, director of health services, UT.
NewsBytes: COVID Vaccine to come out by 1st week of January

Mohali is all set for welcoming of a Covid-19 vaccine, which is “likely to come out to the city by December-end or the first week of January 2021”.

In the wake of this development, the district administration has already started taking into consideration the right vaccinators and temperature-controlled supply chain points.

9,515 registered health workers from government and private institutions would be vaccinated in the first phase. As per preliminary information, Mohali is expecting the vaccine to be delivered by December-end or by the first week of January. “Training of the staff involved in the administration of the vaccine has been planned along with the places where the vaccine will be administered” Said Girish Dayalan, Deputy Commissioner, Mohali

He also added that the vaccine administration site would be ventilated with three dedicated rooms/areas — the waiting room, the vaccination room, and the observation room.

He assured that the vaccination of registered health workers was their priority and no other government official, including him, would be administered the vaccine.
NewsBytes: Bicycle Sharing Project launched in Chandigarh

The bicycle-sharing project has started in Chandigarh today as a pilot project under the “Cycles4Change Challenge”. It has cycles on a half-hourly payment basis. Chandigarh is one of the 95 cities in the country taking part in the challenge to make city dwellers cycle-friendly and increase zero-carbon mobility. It will be launched with 25 docking stations and 250 bicycles.

SmartBike Mobility assisted Chandigarh with this bicycling sharing project. The company had already set up smart bikes in cities like Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

For smart bikes, the taker will have to pay Rs 5 for half an hour for cycling and Rs 10 for non-members. The cycles will never get punctured. Nor the air is required to fill in the tires.

These will have 60 e-bicycles and 40 pedal bicycles, with GPS installed, non-members will be alerted as soon as they are out of range

Bicycles Cost:

The price of smartbike electric is rumored to be purchased around 65 thousand by the company, while the price of a pedaled bicycle is said to be 30 thousand. All these will be controlled by the company’s centralized control room. The server room will be in Hyderabad. Later it will be shifted to the city here soon.

Cycles will Beep when they go out of range

If a non-member comes out of the range of the area with a bicycle, the beep will start ringing at all the docking stations. The company’s field staff will take the bicycle and catch the fleeing person on the spot. A presentation has been given by Advisor cum Chairman Smart City Limited on behalf of Chandigarh Smart City Limited regarding this project.

Money will be deducted from Fleeting Non-members account

Non-members will have to download the Smart Bike Mobility app after scanning the QR code on the docking station mounted. Your Aadhaar number has to be written in the app. After this, the cycle number has to be written, then the lock will open from the docking station of the bicycle. You can go to the designated area by bicycle. By accessing the docking station there, the lock of the bicycle can be closed through the app. There will be a deduction of money from there. Non-member half an hour will deduct 10 rupees.

Membership is also available

If you apply for membership, the money will get deducted from the smart cards.

Multiple Docking Stations around the City

Docking centers were built in front of RBI in Sector-17 of the city, in front of TDI Mall, near Batra Building, Punjab University, PGI, GMSH-16, Punjab-Haryana High Court, Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Sector-22 Mobile Market Will go Where the bicycle can be taken and kept.
NewsBytes: Chandigarh administration to declare 3 e-governance services

While being on the endeavor of making services online for the new age internet savvy people, Chandigarh administration’s Mayor Malik on Wednesday launched three new e-governance services—National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), property tax, and Right to Information (RTI)—under the e-governance project.

MC Yadav told that under the property tax service, city residents could view outstanding property tax, previous payments paid, details of the property, and pay property tax online. The officials can spot the defaulters of the property tax and will also be able to check sector-wise property tax details of the entire city.

Under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission, residents or NGOs could raise online applications for the schemes and programs offered by the ministry of housing and urban affairs like the self-employment program (SEP), social mobilization and institutional development (SMID), etc.

Street vendors can also get themselves registered using this e-service. Also, people will have the privilege of online application approval, online NGO, and shelter home registration, etc.
NewsBytes: Bharat Bandh, Dec. 8, 2020 What will remain Closed in Tricity?
Bharat Bandh: Petrol pumps, shops to be closed in Mohali; partial shutdown in Chandigarh and Panchkula
- Petrol pumps and shops in Mohali will participate in the “Bharat Bandh” on Tuesday.
- While chemist shops will remain open, other stores will stay closed from 11am to 4pm and petrol pumps will also not offer their services from 8am to 5pm.
- Shops may also remain closed till 3pm in Chandigarh and Panchkula. However, petrol pumps in both cities will be open.
- Bank services will not be affected anywhere in the tricity, as bank unions have announced that they will not be participating in the nationwide shutdown to avoid inconvenience to citizens.
“In support of farmers, we have decided to close the petrol pumps from 8am to 5pm in Punjab. Fuel will be given only for emergency services,” said Paramjeet Singh Doaba, president, Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab.

Similarly, Vineet Verma, president, Mohali Beopar Mandal, said traders will be keeping shops closed from 11am to 4pm, but chemist shops will remain open.

In Chandigarh, general secretary of the Petrol Dealers Association, Amandeep Singh said, “Although we support farmers, petrol pumps are an essential service and will be open on Monday.”

Panchkula petrol pumps will also not participate in the strike, said Sanjay Kalra, vice-president of Panchkula Petroleum Dealers Association.

The Panchkula market welfare associations have decided to keep shop shutters down till 3pm, while a uniform decision has not been taken by similar bodies in Chandigarh.

“We have left it to the market body presidents to take a call whether they want to support the strike or not. But, essential shops will be available,” said Anil Vohra, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal.

He added even if some markets were closed, these will resume business by 3pm.

Restaurant associations also confirmed that all eating joints and hotels will conduct normal business on Tuesday.

Panchkula Beopar Mandal president Bobby Singh said, “We are with the farmers and fully support them. We have given a call to close all shops till 3pm.”

Advocates to strike work

Advocates in Chandigarh will abstain from work on Tuesday in support of farmers.

The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has already announced its support and asked all advocates of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to strike work.

Tricity Consumer Courts Bar Association, Chandigarh, has also announced its support for farmers and its members will not be working.

Avoid Tribune Chowk

The Chandigarh traffic police have issued an advisory, asking both local commuters and those coming from other cities to avoid the route between Tribune Chowk and Zirakpur barrier on Tuesday.

UT adviser Manoj Parida took to Twitter to confirm that government offices will be open on Tuesday and police will be present to maintain law and order.

Mohali district magistrate Girish Dayalan also assured that adequate arrangements had been made to avoid disorder.

Two blockades are expected by farmers at the Lalru entry point and Kharar bus stand.

Around 1,100 cops will be deputed on roads and 50 check posts will also be set up across the district. Besides, fire brigades and ambulances will be deployed at strategic points.

Source: HT Times
NewsBytes: Bharat Bandh Dec 8,2020 “Road blockades will be observed till 3PM”

Organizations protesting against the central government’s farm law bills declared a nationwide “Bharat Bandh” on Dec 8, 2020, in support of the demands of the cancellation of the bill.

No supplies of milk and vegetables will be allowed, and business or trade activity will come to a standstill. However, road blockades will be forced in the entire country till 3 pm.
Ambulances and wedding parties however will be spared. relaxation will also be given to anyone having an emergency during the Chakka Jam (Road Blockade)

Farmer representatives from around 40 unions on Sunday requested a “peaceful Bharat Bandh” on December 8 and announced that weddings would be exempted from the nationwide protest.

Baldev Singh Nihal, Ashok Dhanvle, Tenjinder Virk, Comrade BV, and Yogendra Yadav announced the move after a day-long meeting held to chalk out a plan for the ‘Bharat Bandh’, a move to raise their voice against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws enacted in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Farmer leader Nihal said that the agitation is not only of Punjab farmers but also for the whole nation.

“Since the government is not taking us seriously, we have called ‘Bharat Bandh’ and that the Ministers in fifth round of government-farmer talks on Saturday got upset with the idea of nationwide shutdown.

“All the transport and shops would be closed since morning. The transport will be opened by noon but shops will remain closed. We won’t let anyone interfere in this and would take strict action. Youth farmers from Gujarat are also joining tomorrow. Gujarat is the state of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Thousands of protesters have already blocked Delhi borders at five points connecting it to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The protest which began on November 26 will be observed across the nation on December 8 for which farmer associations are continuously contacting different state unions.
NewsBytes : Enjoy Free Netflix This Weekend; Netflix Stream Fest India Dec 5 & 6

Chandigarh, Forget Elante, and Sukhna this weekend. It’s time to stay inside for unlimited Netflix for the whole weekend, Get ready to snuggle up in the bed with some popcorn in one hand and coke in the other.

Netflix Streamfest is now live in India. The Streamfest is exclusively for non-subscribers. So get ready for the binge-watching weekend ahead.

Here is how to make the best of this offer.

Users will require either the Netflix app or will have to visit the Netflix.com/Streamfest website

— Download the app or open the website, and tap on the Streamfest banner. Once that is done, Netflix prompts the user to sign up by registering his name, phone number, email, and then create a password for the Netflix account.

— Viola! Your account is successfully created, users can access the entire catalog for free today and tomorrow, which is December 5 and December 6.

— Users can stream shows on Netflix on devices like smart TV, gaming console, iOS, and Android apps, and the PC. However, the streaming quality would be Standard Definition (SD).

— Users will be given access to all the Netflix features that are available for paid users including Parental Controls, Netflix in Hindi, Profiles, My List, subtitles or dubs, Smart Downloads on mobile, and other important features.

Netflix COO Greg Peters quoted “An idea we’re excited about — and we’ll see how it goes, we think that giving everyone in-country access to Netflix for free for a weekend could be a great way to expose a bunch of new people to the amazing stories that we have. Really creating an event, and hopefully, get a bunch of those folks to sign up,”

What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go!

Category: News

Netflix Streamfest is now live in India. The Streamfest is exclusively for non-subscribers. So get ready for the binge-watching weekend ahead.