Chandigarh: Railway station misses ninth deadline as SAD leaders detained at protest
Chandigarh's most-watched infrastructure project, the Rs 462 crore railway station redevelopment, has received yet another revised deadline of December 31 as authorities lean on a 36-day traffic block to push construction forward. On the political front, Shiromani Akali Dal women's wing leaders including MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal were detained during a protest in the city, while the Enforcement Directorate moved to attach seven properties in a telecom fraud case involving a local BSNL engineer.
🏢 Rs 90 Lakh Salary to Rs 1.44 Crore Farm
A Chandigarh resident has transformed a corporate career exit into an entrepreneurial success story drawing attention across the region. According to NDTV, the individual left behind a position paying an annual salary of Rs 90 lakh to pursue farming, a decision that would have appeared counterintuitive to many in a city known for its professional workforce. The pivot paid off: the entrepreneur built a microgreens business that has scaled to Rs 1.44 crore in revenue. Microgreens are young seedlings of vegetables and herbs harvested just after the first leaves have sprouted; they have gained traction among health-conscious urban consumers seeking nutrient-dense food options. The Chandigarh story illustrates a broader shift visible in Indian cities, where high-earning professionals are increasingly willing to step away from traditional corporate paths and invest in agriculture-adjacent businesses. The microgreens sector requires relatively low infrastructure compared with conventional farming and can yield returns quickly, making it attractive to those with business acumen but limited prior agricultural experience. The reported revenue figure of Rs 1.44 crore signals that urban micro-farming ventures in Punjab and the tricity area can achieve commercial viability at a meaningful scale, and the story is expected to inspire others considering similar pivots in a city where white-collar careers have long been the default aspiration. [1]
🍛 The Back Room Opens Its Doors in Chandigarh
Chandigarh's food and beverage landscape has welcomed a new entrant that is redefining the city's social-gathering scene. Conde Nast Traveller India reviewed The Back Room, a newly opened bar that positions itself as a destination for a discerning millennial clientele. The publication framed the experience from the perspective of a cocktail-appreciating millennial mother, suggesting the venue offers an inclusive, adult-friendly atmosphere distinct from the louder club formats that dominate much of Chandigarh's nightlife. The editorial tone of a prestigious travel and lifestyle magazine choosing to spotlight the establishment signals that The Back Room occupies a notable position in the city's premium hospitality segment. Chandigarh, long regarded as one of north India's most affluent and cosmopolitan cities, has seen consistent growth in its restaurant and bar scene over the past decade, driven by a young urban population with significant disposable income. A feature in Conde Nast Traveller India, a publication with stringent editorial standards and national reach, suggests that The Back Room has the design, concept, and quality of offerings needed to stand out in a competitive market. The bar's name itself hints at an intimate, speakeasy-adjacent concept that has proven popular in metropolitan Indian cities, adapted here to fit the sensibilities of Chandigarh's socially active, upwardly mobile crowd. [2]
🏢 Station Redevelopment: Ninth Deadline Set for December 31
Chandigarh's ambitious railway station redevelopment has been assigned its ninth deadline, with the Rail Land Development Authority now targeting December 31 for completion of the Rs 462 crore overhaul. According to Swarajya, the project has already missed eight earlier deadlines, raising persistent questions about project governance and the credibility of successive timelines. Officials are banking on a 36-day traffic block currently underway to accelerate construction, with Saurabh Singh, Joint General Manager (projects) at RLDA Chandigarh, quoted as saying that approximately 90 per cent of the construction is expected to be completed during this block period, with the remainder targeted by year end. The scope of the project is substantial: it covers 1,92,248 square metres under an engineering, procurement and construction model and will transform the existing station into a multimodal transport hub. Planned upgrades include lifts and escalators on every platform, designed to improve passenger movement during peak travel periods. The multimodal hub concept is intended to integrate rail connectivity with other forms of public transport, a priority for Chandigarh, which functions as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana and serves a large daily passenger volume. The repeated slippage in deadlines has drawn public criticism, but officials remain committed to the December timeline. [4]
🗳️ BSNL Engineer Booked as ED Seizes Seven Properties
The Enforcement Directorate has moved against a Chandigarh-based BSNL engineer in a money-laundering case exposing an organised scheme to illegally route bulk SMS traffic through the state telecom network. According to Telangana Today, the ED has provisionally attached seven immovable properties worth Rs 1.5 crore belonging to engineer Swarnjeet Singh and associates. The probe is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR that alleges Singh and his network enabled unauthorised routing of bulk SMS traffic through BSNL's infrastructure, causing the public sector telecom company a revenue loss of Rs 5.42 crore. Bulk SMS routing fraud typically involves third parties diverting commercial messaging traffic through official network infrastructure without paying the requisite access charges, depriving the operator of legitimate revenue while the fraudsters benefit from illegally subsidised rates. The provisional attachment of seven properties signals that the ED's investigation has identified assets believed to represent proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The case represents one of the more significant telecom fraud enforcement actions in the Chandigarh region in recent years and reflects the directorate's continued focus on financial crimes involving public sector entities. The CBI had originally filed the FIR following its own investigation into the anomalous SMS traffic patterns. [5]
🗳️ SAD Leaders Including Harsimrat Kaur Detained at Chandigarh Protest
Senior leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal women's wing were detained by authorities during a protest in Chandigarh on September 5, according to ANI. The detentions included Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal and MLA Ganieve Kaur Majithia, two prominent figures within the Akali Dal organisation whose participation elevated the political profile of the demonstration. The protest brought SAD's women's wing leadership into direct confrontation with authorities in the union territory's capital, signalling the party's intent to use street agitation as a tool in its political strategy. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a former Union Cabinet minister and one of Punjab's most recognisable opposition figures, has remained active in grassroots and protest politics since her party's performance in the 2022 Punjab assembly election that saw the Aam Aadmi Party win a decisive majority. Staging protests in Chandigarh, which functions as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, carries symbolic weight for political parties seeking to draw regional and national attention to their causes. The detention of sitting legislators and a sitting Member of Parliament during a demonstration typically indicates that police judged the protest to pose a public order concern. The event underscores the continued political activism of SAD's women's wing as the party seeks to rebuild its organisational presence ahead of future elections. [8]
Sources: [1] NDTV · [2] Condé Nast Traveller India · [4] Swarajya · [5] Telangana Today · [8] aninews.in