Latest news with #CHCC


Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh Heritage conservation committee ‘administrative fiction', has no legal basis: Tewari
Hours after the Centre confirmed that the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) was constituted by the UT administration in April 2012 with the approval of the Union ministry of home affairs, city MP Manish Tewari said the panel had no legal basis and was purely an 'administrative fiction created by an executive order'. 'A perusal of the answer makes it evident that the heritage conservation committee of Chandigarh has no basis in law,' said MP Manish Tewari. (HT) Responding to a query by Tewari on the legal status of the committee, during the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament on Monday, the Union ministry of culture only said that CHCC was constituted by the Chandigarh administration on April 20, 2012, following a nod by the ministry of home affairs in response to the report of the expert heritage committee, submitted by the administration. The Centre's response was silent on the committee's legal standing, which Tewari has been flagging for some time now, questioning whether the administration drew its authority to constitute the committee under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, or the corresponding Punjab Act of 1964. 'A perusal of the answer makes it evident that the heritage conservation committee of Chandigarh has no basis in law,' said the MP. The committee is headed by the UT chief secretary and has experts from different fields, with a mandate to ensure proper conservation, preservation, restoration and maintenance of the enlisted heritage of the city. Any projects requiring architectural changes to the city's original plan and heritage require the committee's clearance. The panel's decision of not allowing re-densification in first 30 sectors, despite multiple representations from residents, has been criticised by a section of people. The decision was taken in the backdrop of a January 2023 judgment of Supreme Court, wherein it ruled that the first 30 sectors of Chandigarh carried the heritage status of Le Corbusier zone and, therefore, conversion of residential houses into floor-wise apartments cannot be permitted in these sectors. The SC had said the re-densification issue will be dealt with by the panel. However, Tewari has been arguing that these were only interim directions from the apex court till the panel reviewed the issue of re-densification of heritage sectors. The government in its reply also said the entire city of Chandigarh had not been declared as 'heritage'. The report of the expert heritage committee recommended heritage status to Phase 1 of the city, which comprises Sectors 1 to 30. A total of 13 heritage zones and heritage buildings have been identified in the report, graded as heritage grade I, Il and III, as per their historical and cultural significance and also their unique architectural value. The CHCC has till date held 25 meetings since its constitution and disposed of various sensitive issues concerning development/re-development of various projects in Sector 1 to 30, the government's reply reads. 'In short, the heritage conservation committee cannot become the final arbiter of Chandigarh's progress and development as it has no basis in law and has not been constituted pursuant to any Parliamentary enactment. Its remit must be circumscribed to the conservation of 13 heritage zones,' Tewari underlined, further adding that from Sector 30 onwards, no area carried heritage status, even according to the expert heritage committee.


Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Chandigarh heritage conservation panel ‘has no basis in law,' says MP Manish Tewari, citing Culture Ministry
Congress MP Manish Tewari has questioned the legal authority of the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC), saying that a recent reply in Parliament confirms it is 'purely an administrative fiction created by an executive order' and not backed by any statutory enactment. Responding to his unstarred question in Lok Sabha on Monday, the Ministry of Culture stated that the CHCC was set up by the Chandigarh Administration through a notification on April 20, 2012, after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved its creation in response to an Expert Heritage Committee report. Chandigarh, the reply clarified, is not a declared heritage city, though 13 heritage zones in Sectors 1 to 30 have been identified for their historical and architectural significance, along with heritage buildings graded in three categories. Tewari said the answer makes it 'evident' that the committee was not constituted under any law like the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, or the Punjab Act of 1964. 'It has no basis in law and has not been constituted pursuant to any parliamentary enactment,' he asserted. The reply also cited a Supreme Court judgment which, it said, strengthened the CHCC's legal status for approving matters like re-densification of government housing pockets in Phase I and framing of heritage-related rules. Tewari, however, pointed out that the answer did not specify which judgment was being referred to. According to the MP, even the Expert Heritage Committee's report recognised no heritage site beyond Sector 30. 'From Sector 30 onwards there is nothing that is heritage…the remit must be circumscribed to the conservation of the 13 heritage zones,' he said, adding that the CHCC 'cannot become the final arbiter of Chandigarh's progress and development.' Since its inception, the committee has held 25 meetings and reviewed projects ranging from the UNESCO-listed Capitol Complex to masterplans of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Panjab University, and restoration of the Le Corbusier Centre. Tewari maintained that while conservation is important, the committee's jurisdiction should be 'clearly defined and legally sound.'


Business Recorder
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan's solar boom continues as govt proposes 18% tax
Cherat Cement Company Limited (CHCC) has further enhanced its renewable portfolio with the commissioning of a 2.935 MW solar power plant at its facility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The listed company engaged in the manufacturing of cement disclosed the development in its notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday. 'We are pleased to inform that the company has commissioned remaining 2.935 MW solar power plant at its factory site Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 11, 2025, out of the total project of approximately 9 MW,' read the notice. 'After commissioning of this project, the total captive solar power generation capacity of the company will become around 23 MW,' it added. Back in April, the cement manufacturer added 6.065MW to its renewable capacity. Despite being a low-income country plagued by economic and social issues, a green revolution is taking place in Pakistan, and the South Asian country has quietly emerged as one of the world's largest markets for the growing solar industry. According to the Global Electricity Review 2025 by Ember, an energy think tank in the UK, Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels in 2024, joining the ranks of leading solar nations. This rising trend has left decision-makers grappling with its implications for the national grid and energy sector, as electricity consumption remains stagnant. In response, the federal government, in its budget for the financial year 2025-26, on Tuesday revealed its intention to impose an 18% sales tax on imported solar panels. The proposed tax would help the local industry grow, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in his budget speech in the National Assembly. The development comes amid a solar boom in the country, with net-metering capacity in Pakistan jumping to 2,813 megawatts (MW) as of March 31, 2025, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 released on Monday.


Deccan Herald
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Call at Sikh rally demands 8 lakh Hindus leave Canada
CHCC condemns the call at today's Nagar Kirtan in Malton & Etobicoke demanding 800,000 Hindus leave Canada. There are 800,000 Hindus and over 1.86 million Indo-Canadians in Canada. The call at today's Nagar Kirtans in Malton & Etobicoke clearly targeted Hindus. History…


Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indo-Canadian groups hold candlelight vigils, prayer meetings for the victims of Pahalgam terror attack
Toronto: As the Indo-Canadian community remains in shock over the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, they held vigils and prayers meetings in memory of the victims in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Vancouver, Montreal and elsewhere across the country. On Saturday morning, over 300 people, including local politicians, gathered at the Gita Park in the Brampton in the GTA for a 'solemn vigil to honour the victims' of the terror attack. 'The gathering served as a powerful reminder of unity, compassion, and the collective determination to uphold peace. Together, attendees prayed, reflected, and reaffirmed their commitment to a future built on harmony and resilience,' the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (CHCC), which held the event, said. Its president Kushagr Dutt Sharma said, 'Today, we stood together not just to mourn, but to renew our commitment to a world where hatred has no home. The pain of the Pahalgam attacks reminds us that unity and compassion are our strongest weapons against violence.' On Saturday evening, a similar number of mourners gathered for a candlelight vigil at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto. Ruchi Wali, one of the principal organisers of the vigil, told the gathering that among its objectives was to send out the message that 'Hindu lives matter'. Wali, who has roots in Jammu and Kashmir, called out the 'silence' of the Canadian establishment in criticising the perpetrators of the violence. Rishabh Sarswat, president of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Canada, said that 'Hindu trauma is not recognised in Western countries' and that was 'reflected in the media and in the language of politicians'. As speakers questioned why Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was the last among leaders of G7 countries to condemn the terror attack, Sarswat said such a delayed response spoke 'volumes' over the 'seriousness' of the country's political class over the rights of Hindu. 'That is very concerning for us as Hindu Canadians,' he said. Joining the Indo-Canadian groups were Jewish organisations, and Baloch human rights activists, among others. Meanwhile, a peaceful assembly was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery to show solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack, while a vigil in their memory was held in Montreal. In a statement, the Hindu Cultural Society of Toronto expressed its 'deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the innocent victims brutally killed' in the terror attack. It will organise a prayer meeting on Sunday. The Hindu Sabha Mandir, which was violently invaded by pro-Khalistan elements in November, also issued a statement, in which it said, 'Such reprehensible acts of terrorism against peace loving Hindu tourists, enjoying their vacation time in serene Pahalgam valley, has no place in our law-abiding world.'