News / Columns / Saurabh Chauhan

Saurabh Chauhan

Saurabh Chauhan is a correspondent reporting from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, covering Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Agriculture. Previously reported from Mohali (Punjab), Shimla (HP) and covered Political, Civil Admin, Finance beats.

Articles by Saurabh Chauhan

AAP to seek saints’ help for yatra targeting BJP in Uttar Pradesh

The yatra of AAP will start from Ayodhya on January 12, the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand, and end in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi on January 14. The ‘Kisan Berozgar Sansad’ has been scheduled in Ayodhya on January 23, the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.

To make a mark in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is attempting to mobilise the Bharatiya Janata Party’s core support groups in its favour.(Mohd Zakir/HT Photo)

india news

Published on Dec 31, 2018 12:35 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | BySaurabh Chauhan

In 76 seconds, girl scales 14-foot wall to escape from UP shelter home

After ensuring that no one was around, she climbed on to a washbasin and then struggled for almost a minute to reach the roof by first clambering on to a ledge.

cities

Updated on Dec 25, 2018 01:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | BySaurabh Chauhan

‘Will vote for party that builds Ram Temple’: Crowd disrupts Rajnath Singh’s speech

“Jo Mandir Banwayega, Vote Usi ko Jayega (We will vote for the party, which constructs the Ram Temple),” the audience chanted disrupting Rajnath Singh’s speech.

Home minister Rajnath Singh addressing the audience during the Yuva Kumbh programme, in Lucknow, on Sunday.(Deepak Gupta /HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 24, 2018 11:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow/New Delhi | BySaurabh Chauhan and Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Amid HC stay, Union ministry suspends NIPER director Raghuram Rao Akkinepally

Centre cites defiance and insubordination as reason; Rao had got stay against board chairman’s suspension order

Raghuram Rao Akkinepally(Keshav Singh/HT)

cities

Updated on Oct 30, 2018 12:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Of 74 illegal mining cases in Mohali, 64 still being probed

District administration wants probe to speeded up but mining dept, cops grappling with staff crunch

There has been a spurt in illegal mining cases in the district ever since the monsoon ban on mining has been lifted.(HT File)

cities

Updated on Oct 27, 2018 10:17 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan

In two weeks, 33 farmers fined for stubble burning in Mohali villages

The crackdown to enforce the ban comes amid farmers’ plea that alternatives suggested by the Punjab government are not viable.

A farmer burning stubble in a field at Baroli village in Dera Bassi on Tuesday. Farmers have been fined <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>42,500 for flouting the ban in the past fortnight.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Oct 17, 2018 10:58 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

More roadblocks slow down work on Chandigarh-Kharar highway project

Heavy traffic on the road has been one of the major issues faced by the contractor.

Following complaints from the contractor, the National Highway Authority of India took up the matter with the state government.(HT File)

cities

Updated on Oct 08, 2018 10:45 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Sector scan: Youngest sectors of Chandigarh go vertical

Welcome to the world of the self-reliant Chandigarhian, who has carved a little oasis out of the brick and mortar structures he was given by the Chandigarh Housing Board.

Residents of Sector 63 take great pride in their elevators, CCTV cameras and their collective efforts to give their neighbourhood a rich green cover.(HT Photo)

cities

Published on Sep 19, 2018 11:43 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan

Composting culture catches on in Chandigarh tricity

Horticulturists say composting is essential in the tricity that boasts over 3,600 parks.

Many schools in the tricity have taken to composting their green waste. A gardener rakes leaves into one such pit at Shivalik Public School.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 19, 2018 07:47 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan

Navjot Sidhu shares Kapil’s courage, Sachin’s determination as recipes for success

Speaking during the ISB Leadership Summit 2018, Sidhu talked about the qualities that champions exhibit. Sidhu said, “Champions have a different character. They are unflustered.”

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu speaking during a seminar at the Indian School of Business in Mohali on Friday.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 08, 2018 12:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Mohali councillors want lifetime pension like MPs, MLAs

Mayor Kulwant Singh, the real estate magnate-turned-politician, took no time to pass the resolution.

cities

Updated on Sep 06, 2018 11:57 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Chandigarh’s Sector 50-51: Forging friendships under the Kikkar trees

Kikkar Park is the centre of attraction in Sector 50. Around 20 years ago, the land here was lined with Kikkar trees. While most of them were felled to build flats, a small patch was left untouched. Today it’s the famous Kikkar Park of the Chandigarh’s south.

Residents of these sparsely populated sectors enjoy living in a closely-knit community, where most people know each other by their first names.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 05, 2018 03:32 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan

Court frames charges against former IAS officer Mandeep Singh, 2 others in graft case

The development comes three days after the Punjab and Haryana high court dismissed Mandeep’s plea seeking reinvestigation into the case on the recommendation of the Mehtab Singh Gill Commission.

Former IAS officer Mandeep Singh.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 01, 2018 11:16 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Potholes on Chandigarh-Kharar highway give motorists a tough time

The highway is being upgraded, but the project is mired in land acquisition pangs.

The 300-odd potholes on a mere 700-metre stretch on the highway in Kharar causes severe snarls in the morning and evening.(HT photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 30, 2018 11:21 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan

Three years on, promises made by Mohali’s first mayor remain on paper only

Stray cattle and dogs continue to freely roam the streets, there is no sign of any bus service and the city suffered its worst deluge in its history during the extreme rain event of August 21 last year.

Stray cattle have a free run in Mohali despite the MC claims to rein them in. Here they graze in front of the PUDA Bhawan in Mohali.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 29, 2018 12:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan

Gang member who withdrew cash using cloned cards of customers visiting Mohali brewery held

Gaurav Verma, a postgraduate in yoga, was a key member of the card cloning gang, six of whose members have already been arrested.

cities

Updated on Aug 28, 2018 11:27 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Punjab govt cancels Kharar de-addiction centre’s licence to treat substance abuse

The inspecting teams had found wrong protocol of treatment at the centre. Instead of decreasing the dose of treatment drugs — Buprenorphine and Naloxone — , the dose was increased for some patients.

A joint raid by the Mohali deputy commissioner’s office and health department in July had found several irregularities at Dr Sidhu De-addiction Centre in Kharar.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 26, 2018 12:14 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Don’t say cheese: 2,000kg spurious paneer seized in Mohali, unit owner arrested

Butter, ghee, milk cream, 120 litres of sulphuric acid also recovered

A health department team with the seized paneer in Ballomajra, Mohali, on Tuesday.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 22, 2018 01:05 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Chandigarh-Kharar highway project: Traffic diversion plans need Punjab govt’s nod

The contractor was asked to work during night but the vehicular traffic has been a hindrance.

Tardy land acquisition and lack of vehicle-free construction site has allowed completion of only 35% work even as the December 2018 deadline inches closer.(HT File)

cities

Published on Aug 10, 2018 12:14 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Tardy acquisition the roadblock in completion of Chandigarh-Kharar highway

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had handed over the Rs 369-crore project to Larsen & Toubro in September 2015 to facilitate movement of 50,000 vehicles on the busy road daily.

Started in 2016, the Chandigarh-Kharar highway work has been going on at a snail’s pace.(HT File)

cities

Updated on Aug 05, 2018 11:26 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan

Ex-Punjab minister Tota Singh acquitted in PSEB job scam

During his tenure as minister in 2000 and 2001, Tota was accused of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the recruitment of 134 clerks and 60 assistants.

Former Akali minister Tota Singh (Right) at Mohali court.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 02, 2018 04:08 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan

Abuse of elderly for property: A house divided by greed

Mohali has seen a spurt in cases where senior citizens are being abused by their offspring who want the parents’ properties without taking care of them

Many senior citizens are unable to live peacefully because of constant harassment by their children.(Sikander Chopra/HT)

cities

Updated on Jul 25, 2018 11:55 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Traffic, land acquisition pangs delay Chandigarh-Kharar highway project

The contractor says only 35% work has been done and it will take at least 20 more months for completion, given it is handed over the remaining land on time and is provided traffic-free road to construct the flyover.

The project entails widening of the road between Balongi and Kharar T-point, including two flyovers.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 17, 2018 10:22 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Illegal miners’ trucks in Mohali taking interior routes to evade highway checkpoints, allege villagers

Residents of villages in Kharar’s periphery say sand-laden trucks are damaging roads

cities

Updated on Jun 27, 2018 04:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

HT Spotlight| Waste management: Mohali needs a solid way out

In a dismal fall, the city lost the race of cleanliness to Bathinda, mainly due to poor solid waste management

The dumping ground of Mohali at Industrial Area, Phase 8B.(Ravi Kumar/HT)

cities

Updated on Jun 27, 2018 04:17 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Illegal mining in Mohali: Five depts on the job without coordination

Admn, police, mining, excise and taxation and forest departments far from being in control

The district administration can only conduct raids, and needs the support of all other departments to rein in illegal sand mining, which is rampant in Mohali.(HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Jun 23, 2018 02:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

HT Spotlight: Mohali ready or not, rains will tell

Though the Mohali MC claims it has cleaned 80% of the road gullies and is ready to take on the monsoon, the ground reality seems shaky and the councillors are worried.

The road adjacent to the Sohana gurdwara turned into a pool after heavy rain on August 21 last year; and (left) the N-Choe is overgrown with weeds, leading to fears that it will overflow during the monsoon.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Jun 22, 2018 01:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | BySaurabh Chauhan

10% of arms licence seekers fail dope test in Mohali

The Punjab government has made the dope test mandatory for applicants seeking a fresh or renewal of arms licence.

cities

Updated on Jun 22, 2018 10:55 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Illegal sand mining: With 1 conviction in 4 years, its business as usual in Mohali

Even as the administration claim to have taken stern measures, tardy probe and poor conviction — only one in around 165 cases in four years — has allowed the mining mafia to carry on its business unabated.

Even as police probe has not established it yet, many locals allege the sand mafia has political backing.(HT File)

cities

Updated on Jun 21, 2018 11:04 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

Mohali’s average water consumption nearly triple the estimated requirement

The corporation analysed data from March to May and found that the average consumption of the town was around 400 litre per day against the standard water need of 150 litre.

cities

Updated on Jun 16, 2018 02:36 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | BySaurabh Chauhan, Mohali

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Saurabh Chauhan

Saurabh Chauhan is a correspondent reporting from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, covering Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Agriculture. Previously reported from Mohali (Punjab), Shimla (HP) and covered Political, Civil Admin, Finance beats.

After ensuring that no one was around, she climbed on to a washbasin and then struggled for almost a minute to reach the roof by first clambering on to a ledge.

“Jo Mandir Banwayega, Vote Usi ko Jayega (We will vote for the party, which constructs the Ram Temple),” the audience chanted disrupting Rajnath Singh’s speech.

Centre cites defiance and insubordination as reason; Rao had got stay against board chairman’s suspension order

District administration wants probe to speeded up but mining dept, cops grappling with staff crunch

The crackdown to enforce the ban comes amid farmers’ plea that alternatives suggested by the Punjab government are not viable.

Heavy traffic on the road has been one of the major issues faced by the contractor.

Welcome to the world of the self-reliant Chandigarhian, who has carved a little oasis out of the brick and mortar structures he was given by the Chandigarh Housing Board.

Horticulturists say composting is essential in the tricity that boasts over 3,600 parks.

Speaking during the ISB Leadership Summit 2018, Sidhu talked about the qualities that champions exhibit. Sidhu said, “Champions have a different character. They are unflustered.”

Mayor Kulwant Singh, the real estate magnate-turned-politician, took no time to pass the resolution.

Kikkar Park is the centre of attraction in Sector 50. Around 20 years ago, the land here was lined with Kikkar trees. While most of them were felled to build flats, a small patch was left untouched. Today it’s the famous Kikkar Park of the Chandigarh’s south.

The development comes three days after the Punjab and Haryana high court dismissed Mandeep’s plea seeking reinvestigation into the case on the recommendation of the Mehtab Singh Gill Commission.

The highway is being upgraded, but the project is mired in land acquisition pangs.

Stray cattle and dogs continue to freely roam the streets, there is no sign of any bus service and the city suffered its worst deluge in its history during the extreme rain event of August 21 last year.

Gaurav Verma, a postgraduate in yoga, was a key member of the card cloning gang, six of whose members have already been arrested.

The inspecting teams had found wrong protocol of treatment at the centre. Instead of decreasing the dose of treatment drugs — Buprenorphine and Naloxone — , the dose was increased for some patients.

Butter, ghee, milk cream, 120 litres of sulphuric acid also recovered

The contractor was asked to work during night but the vehicular traffic has been a hindrance.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had handed over the Rs 369-crore project to Larsen & Toubro in September 2015 to facilitate movement of 50,000 vehicles on the busy road daily.

During his tenure as minister in 2000 and 2001, Tota was accused of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the recruitment of 134 clerks and 60 assistants.

Mohali has seen a spurt in cases where senior citizens are being abused by their offspring who want the parents’ properties without taking care of them

The contractor says only 35% work has been done and it will take at least 20 more months for completion, given it is handed over the remaining land on time and is provided traffic-free road to construct the flyover.

Residents of villages in Kharar’s periphery say sand-laden trucks are damaging roads

In a dismal fall, the city lost the race of cleanliness to Bathinda, mainly due to poor solid waste management

Admn, police, mining, excise and taxation and forest departments far from being in control

Though the Mohali MC claims it has cleaned 80% of the road gullies and is ready to take on the monsoon, the ground reality seems shaky and the councillors are worried.

The Punjab government has made the dope test mandatory for applicants seeking a fresh or renewal of arms licence.

Even as the administration claim to have taken stern measures, tardy probe and poor conviction — only one in around 165 cases in four years — has allowed the mining mafia to carry on its business unabated.

The corporation analysed data from March to May and found that the average consumption of the town was around 400 litre per day against the standard water need of 150 litre.

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