Chandigarh decides not to impose night restrictions on New Year Eve

The Chandigarh Administrator directed the Director General of Police to ensure that the existing Covid- appropriate behaviour and the restrictions on number of persons and opening and closing of hotels, restaurants should be strictly enforced.

Decoration for New year with colourful lights at Plaza Sector 17 Chandigarh on Wednesday, December 30 2015. (Express file photo by Sahil Walia)

Putting all speculation to rest, the Chandigarh Administration on Tuesday announced that “there won’t be any restrictions on New Year’s Eve” but people should return to their homes at 1 am positively.

The UT Administrator convened a review meeting to decide on the night curfew with Principal Secretary Health, Director General of Police and Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh.

“Considering that the number of active cases and positive cases being detected every day are coming down and no case of new strain found in UK has been detected in Chandigarh, it was decided that there is no need of any additional restrictions or night curfew for the New Year’s Eve,” said a statement issued by the Administration.

However, the Administrator directed the Director General of Police to ensure that the existing Covid- appropriate behaviour and the restrictions on number of persons and opening and closing of hotels, restaurants should be strictly enforced.

“As a precautionary measure, Administrator appealed to the residents not to crowd public places and positively return to the comforts of their homes by 1 am on New Year’s Eve,” it was stated.

After the decision, DC Mandeep Singh Brar, along with SSP Kuldip Singh Chahal held a meeting with the representatives of hotels, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs in order to emphasise compliance with the Covid-19 related guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining distance.

The DC asked the hotel and restaurant owners to operate with half their capacity and keep the gathering limited to 200. He added that any violation of these guidelines would attract severe action from the administration.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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