03022026-JTR-01.qxd 2/2/2026 11:43 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PARGAT SINGH CALLS MODI’S PUNJAB VISIT HOLLOW INTENSIVE REVISION UNDERWAY IN SCHOOLS AHEAD OF EXAMS GRAMMY AWARDS UNFOLDED WITH MUSIC & CONSCIENCE MLA Pargat Singh lambasted PM Narendra Modi's Punjab tour as a profound let down for Punjabis. P2 Teachers are conducting regular revision sessions, holding extra classes and closely monitoring students’ progress.P3 Kendrick Lamar, SZA win Record of The Year defeating Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 20°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 18°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.04 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:18 AM » TUESDAY | 3 FEBRUARY 2026 | JALANDHAR Farmers block road against move to set up biogas plant in fodder market Lift dharna after admn ‘assurance’ and Dallewal’s release in Bathinda Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 2 Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) on Monday held a dharna on Jamsher Road for more than four hours as farmers had been protesting against the move to set up of biogas-compressed CNG plant in the fodder market of the Jamsher dairy complex. They had started gathering on the road with trolleys, cars and bikes and heading towards the Jalandhar-Phagwara highway for blocking it near Dhannowali, but they were stopped about 3 km ahead of the highway by the police. The police laid barricades and did not let them cross over. At the point, the farmers showed resistance to the police which led to an stiff altercation between both sides. The situation, however, was controlled in time. The farmers, led by district president Kulwinder Singh Mashiana, finally sat down on Jamsher Road where they continued protest for over four hours. They said their right for clean drinking water and pure air too was being snatched by the government by setting up the biogas plant and proposing to shift their fodder market from the site. They were upset as the administration did not listen to their concerns and instead sided with corporate houses. The protesters said they were compelled to block the road for the sake of the coming generations. Congress MLAs Pargat Singh and Sukhwinder Kotli too came to the spot in support of the farmers, “Considering public health and pollution concerns, the plant should be relocated outside the village. The Municipal Corporation and government must reconsider this. If the government does not reverse its decision, a path of struggle will be adopted”. The farmers lifted their Excise raid at sweets shop in Goraya Our Correspondent Phillaur, February 2 A major enforcement action by the Central Excise Department at a well-known and long-established sweets shop in Goraya has created concern among traders and residents alike. The raid, which continued for nearly 23 hours, was carried out simultaneously at the sweets shop, a residential property, and a factory linked to the business, marking one of the most extensive operations of its kind in the area in recent times. HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. PM Narendra Modi with Sant Niranjan Dass at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar on Sunday. Modi’s spiritual visit to dera signals wider Dalit outreach Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Members of the BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) hold a protest on Jamsher Road against the proposed bio-CNG plant; and (below) a huge traffic jam in Jalandhar on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH protest after MC officials reached the spot and assured them of considering their demands. The farmers, however, said they would not lift dharna until their leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had been detained by the police in Bathinda, is released. It was after the release of Dallewal that the farmers vacated the site and the movement of traffic finally started. The administration opened the route to the market to allow fodder trolleys to enter. Owing to the dharna, the cantonment and surrounding villages remained affected as Jamsher Road is the main connection between cantonment towards the Nakodar road. Mashiana said, “The administration told us that they have called a meeting of senior officials on February 5, in which a consensus will be formed regarding shifting this plant to another location.” BKU representatives, panchayat of village Chiteyani, the Arhtiya Association and the Dairy Association have been asked to participate. Those present included BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) district patron Pargat Singh Sarhali; village Chiteyani sarpanch Kamaljeet Kaur; district general secretary Inderjit Singh from Mashiana, Faridkot; district general secretary Paramjit Singh; senior vicepresident Daljit Singh; district general secretary Gurvinder Singh Bajuha; Harnek Singh from Nakodar block; Sukhbir Singh from Goraya block; Baljinder Singh from Phillaur block; Pritpal Singh and Gulab Singh from Gurdaspur; district president Balkar Singh from Nawanshahr; and leaders from other districts such as Fazilka, Amritsar, Mansa, and Tarn Taran. From the Arhtiya Associa- ‘GOVT SNATCHING OUR RIGHTS’ Farmers claim their rights for clean drinking water and pure air too are being snatched by the government by setting up a biogas plant and proposing to shift their fodder market from the site. tion, Amrik Singh Mandrurdka, Joga Singh from Sarhali block, Happy Machhiana, Sukhdeep Singh Bhangra, Gurnam Singh Mashiana, and others were also present. Jalandhar, February 2 When Sant Niranjan Dass, chief of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar, left the Sri Guru Ravidas Janm Asthan, Varanasi, on February 1 — amid the Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations — to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his devotees at Varanasi kept his ‘gaddi’ (chair) empty, awaiting his return. Back in Jalandhar, when the Prime Minister touched the sant’s feet, supporters exhaled in collective relief. The warmth shared between the PM and the revered head of one of the most influential deras has left the followers of both dera and the BJP beaming. Modi’s brief visit on Sunday has also set the ball rolling for greater possibilities ahead of the mega celebrations of the 650th Parkash Purb of Sri Guru Ravidas at Seer Gowardhanpur in Varanasi and across India in 2027. While the visit is widely viewed as part of the BJP’s Dalit outreach ahead of the 2027 polls, whether it will translate into electoral gains in Punjab remains open. Observers on both sides, however, agree that the visit marks the begin- Ravidassia leaders hail PM’s gesture, look forward to 2027 global congregation ning of something larger. Punjab has an estimated 32 per cent Dalits. Doaba has 42 per cent Dalits of which estimated 28 per cent belong to the Ravidassia community. Dera Sachkhand Ballan is the seat of Dalit influence which commands a powerful presence among this sizeable populace. Additionally, Jalandhar’s prominent Dalit hub Boota Mandi hosts the Shri Guru Ravidas Dham, where the Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations each year draw huge crowds through melas and shobha yatras. Across these hubs, Dr BR Ambedkar is also honoured with fervour through processions and commemorations on his birth anniversary. It is into this shared socioreligious ethos that the PM stepped when he called on Sant Niranjan Dass on Sunday. However, both the party and dera supporters reiterate the stance that the visit was purely apolitical and spiritu- al. Keeping with it, the PM’s speech on Sunday didn’t bear any overt political references or mentions of other political dispensations. The dera’s posters regarding 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas also didn’t carry pictures of the PM. Former general secretary of the trust and a close associate of the dera Sat Paul Virdi says, “All Ravidassia Samaj is happy with the Prime Minister’s visit and the spirit with which he greeted Sant ji. We welcome him. We have already begun making preparations for the mega Parkash Purb celebrations in 2027. The dera has establishments across 40 countries from where Ravidassia Samaj will be coming to Varanasi next year. For us it’s akin to the Kumbh. Modi ji visited Seer Gowardhanpur in 2016 and had a very amiable meeting with Sant Niranjan Das ji in 2019. We look forward to the Prime Minister’s continued support.” Jassi Talhan, president, Sri Guru Ravidas Tiger Force, said, “Electoral matters are yet away from people’s minds as we look forward to the PM and the government’s similar generosity for Guru Ravidas Parkash Purb next year.” Com teachers protest MC crackdown on water bill Woman arrested non-academic duties defaulters, 4 connections cut for targeting PM, Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 2 Computer teachers, posted in government schools, have protested the imposition of non-academic duties related to the preparation of Chief Minister Health Insurance Cards. The Computer Teachers’ Struggle Committee and the Computer Teachers’ Union, in a joint initiative, submitted a memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, through the SDM, Phagwara, on Monday. The protesting teachers expressed resentment over being repeatedly assigned non-educational tasks despite not being granted the benefits and service protections available to regular employees. They stated that computer teachers were still treated as employees of private companies (PICTS staff) and deprived of regular service benefits. Moreover, the CSR (Civil Services Rules) had not been implemented for them, yet they continue to be burdened with administrative and field duties unrelated to their core role as educators. Union leaders highlighted that schools were witnessing an intense academic phase, with board examination preparations underway at full pace and computer subject practical examinations already in progress. In such critical circumstances, assigning additional non-academic responsibilities to teachers was not only unjust to them, but also adversely affecting students’ academic interests. They emphasised that the primary responsibility of computer teachers was to impart quality education and provide technical guidance to students. Diverting them towards administrative tasks compromised both teaching standards and students’ learning outcomes. The delegation demanded that all such non-academic duties imposed on computer teachers be withdrawn immediately, allowing them to focus solely on educational responsibilities. Recovers ~1.66 lakh in special water dues drive Video using foul language goes viral Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 2 The Jalandhar MC launched a special enforcement drive in the Sanjay Gandhi Nagar area to recover pending water charges from defaulters. During the drive, water connections of consumers, who failed to clear their dues, were disconnected. The action was carried out under the directions of Mayor Vaneet Dhir and Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi and was supervised by Joint Commissioner Dr Sumandeep Kaur. Officials said the drive was aimed at ensuring the timely recovery of water rates and improving civic services. Several senior officials participated in the campaign, including Flag Scout and Estate Officer-cum-Chief Tax Collector Ashwani Gill, Superintendent (Water Rates) Harpreet Walia, and Area Inspector Rajinder Virdi. The team conducted a door-to-door c m y b dera Ballan chief Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service MC officials cut a water connection in Jalandhar. verification and took immediate action against defaulters. During the drive, the MC recovered Rs 1.66 lakh from consumers who cleared their outstanding dues on the spot. In addition, water connections of four consumers who failed to pay the pending amount were disconnected. The water connection of Punjab and Sind Bank, located at Bhagat Singh Chowk, was restored after the building owner deposited the outstanding water charges. Jalandhar, February 2 A day after the Prime Minister’s visit to the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar, the Adampur police have booked a woman for hurting religious sentiments with her video posted on social media. Hardeep Kaur (35), resident of Jandu Singha, has been arrested by the police this morning for the use of objectionable and foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Dass. Modi visited the Dera Sachkhand Ballan to call on Sant Niranjan Dass on Sunday. In the wake of the visit, the woman posted a video as her WhatsApp status in which she complained that she couldn’t get medicine for her daughter, who was sick, due to roads being closed. In the video, she used abusive language against the dera chief and the PM. After receiving a complaint against the video, the police have registered an FIR under Section 153 B (malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting their religion or beliefs), against the woman. Members of the Ravidassia community, led by Joginder Singh, head of the Guru Ravidas Gurdwara at Jandu Singha, submitted a complaint against the woman on Sunday night and also held a demonstration outside the Adampur police station. Inspector Ravinder Pal, SHO, Adampur, said, “The woman has used foul language against the saint. She has tried to trigger controversy and provoke people for which she was arrested this morning. Further investigation in the matter is on.”