27032026-JTR-01.qxd 3/26/2026 11:03 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune GARBAGE CRISIS: EX-MP SEEKS RIGHTS PANEL INTERVENTION NORTHERN RAILWAY CLINCH RAILWAY WOMEN HOCKEY TITLE In an exciting final match, Northern Railway defeat Central Railway 2–0 to clinch the championship title. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 18°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 18°C FROM STAGE TO SCREEN, HONING CRAFT TO HOG SPOTLIGHT Avinash Rai stresses that unchecked garbage accumulation creates unhygienic conditions and serious health risks. P2 FORECAST From backstage struggles to standing ovations, these actors prove that theatre is a lifelong foundation. P4 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 6.43 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:44 AM » FRIDAY | 27 MARCH 2026 | JALANDHAR Minor girl kidnapped in Kapurthala Former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Charanjit Singh Atwal meets Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi. ‘One nation, one syllabus’ a must: Atwal to Pradhan Ex-Deputy Speaker meets Education Minister in Delhi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 26 Former Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal, expressing serious concern over the existing disparities in the country’s education system, said implementing ‘One nation, one syllabus’ in India has become a necessity so that students from every section of society can receive uniform and quality education. Dr Atwal met Union Educa- Journalist seriously hurt in attack Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 26 A journalist of a Hindi daily Amar Passi, was seriously injured after being attacked with sharp-edged weapons late Wednesday night in Mohalla Bhagatpura here. He was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where his condition is stated to be serious. The incident took place when Passi was stepping out of his house and was about to get into his car. Three armed youths, who arrived on a scooter, attacked him from behind. The assailants reportedly struck him on the head, leaving him critically injured. When one of Passi’s aides tried to intervene and resist the attackers, he was allegedly threatened with a revolver by the assailants, who managed to flee the scene after the attack. Sources said Passi had settled a family dispute. It is suspected that one of the parties was dissatisfied with the settlement and had allegedly been issuing threats to him. Passi had also reportedly informed the police about these threats prior to the incident. The police have launched an investigation and are making efforts to identify and arrest the attackers. 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. tion Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at his office in Parliament House and submitted a detailed memorandum, presenting his comprehensive recommendations on the issue. During the meeting, an extensive discussion was held on the subject of ‘One nation, one syllabus’, in which special consideration was given to the differences among various education boards across the country and the problems arising from them. Dr Atwal urged the Union Education Minister that a special meeting at the national level should be convened under his chairmanship on this issue. He said apart from senior officials of the department, education experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders from all states should be included so that detailed deliberations can be held. He said Pradhan has given his approval for convening such a meeting. The minister also assured that Dr. Atwal would be invited to participate in the meeting so that a concrete national policy on this issue can be formulated. Phagwara, March 26 The police have registered a case of alleged kidnapping of a minor girl following a complaint filed by her mother from Sultanpur Lodhi. Complainant Preet Kaur, a resident of village Kamalpur Motawal under Sultanpur Lodhi police station, reported that her daughter, a student of Class XII at a government school located near Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, went missing under suspicious circumstances. In her statement to the police, Preet Kaur stated that her daughter left the house on March 13 without informing any family member. When she did not return home, the family grew concerned and initiated a search on their own, contacting relatives and checking nearby areas. The complainant further alleged that she suspects that the accused, identified as Balraj Mehra, resident of Sultanpur Lodhi, may have lured and taken her daughter away. Based on her statement, the police have registered a case against the accused. Officials stated that an investigation has been launched to trace the missing minor and apprehend the accused. Police teams are actively working on leads and have assured that all efforts are being made to ensure the safe recovery of the girl at the earliest. — OC Inter-state weapons supply racket busted, 2 arrested 10 pistols seized, accused were working on foreign handlers’ directions Tribune News Service JALANDHAR, March 26 The Counter-Intelligence (CI), Jalandhar, has busted an inter-state illegal weapons supply module with the arrest of two accused from Uttar Pradesh and recovered ten 7.65 mm country-made pistols along with 20 magazines from their possession on Thursday. Those arrested have been identified as Dalesh Kumar, alias Saurav Kumar, alias Nannu, a resident of village Paindapur in Aligarh, and Amit Chahar, a resident of Baseri Chahar village in Agra. It happened almost a month after two BKI operatives — Sukhwinder alias Sunny and Rawal — were arrested for placing three grenades and one IED near Balachaur on the directions of their foreign-based handler Jassi Kulam. The same IED was later used in the blast at Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. DGP Gaurav Yadav said during sustained investigation, both accused were arrested from Mathura and first recovery of five pistols along with 10 magazines was effected from the car of The Counter-Intelligence, Jalandhar, has busted an inter-state illegal weapons supply module with the arrest of two accused from Uttar Pradesh and recovered ten 7.65MM country-made pistols along with 20 magazines from their possession. accused Dalesh Kumar. Following his disclosure, five more pistols along with 10 magazines were seized from the Mathura-Palwal highway, taking a total count to 10 pistols and 20 magazines. The DGP said the arrest of these two UP accused has revealed that they were acting at the behest of foreign criminals operating from Germany and the USA, supplying weapons to criminal gangs in Punjab. Both were also involved in procuring weapons and carrying out firing for extortion at a travel agent’s residence in Garhshankar, he added. An FIR had been registered under the BNS and the Arms Act in Amritsar. WERE HELD FROM MATHURA ■ Both accused were arrested from Mathura. ■ Following accused Dalesh Kumar’s disclosure, five more pistols along with 10 magazines were seized from the MathuraPalwal highway, taking a total count to 10 pistols and 20 magazines. Sukhbir offers sops in Phillaur: Wheat flour Elderly man dies at ~4, pulses ~20/kg, ~3,100 old-age pension by suicide in Targets government in Punjab Bachao Rally, highlights achievements of previous Akali govt Our Correspondent PHAGWARA, MARCH 26 Phillaur witnessed a large political gathering on Thursday as the Shiromani Akali Dal organised its “Punjab Bachao Rally,” drawing the presence of senior party leadership, including Sukhbir Badal. Addressing a rally, Sukhbir launched a sharp attack on both Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing the government of administrative failures and financial mismanagement. In his speech, Badal alleged that the condition of roads across Punjab has deteriorated and no development has taken place over the past decade. He further accused the AAP government of spending approximately Rs 4,500 crore on advertisements over the past four years. He also alleged that expenses related to travel by Arvind Kejriwal are being borne by the government. Taking a dig at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Badal claimed that Mann had occu- SAD’s president Sukhbir Badal after a rally in Phillaur. pied the Commissioner’s residence in Jalandhar and alleged that the upcoming birthday celebration of Mann’s daughter on March 28 would cost around Rs 10 crore, with expenses purportedly being covered by the state government. He further remarked that governance in Punjab is effectively being run by Kejriwal, while Mann’s role is limited. Highlighting the achievements of previous Akali governments, Badal stated that the party had worked in the interest of people. He cited the construction of 190 railway flyovers and the provision of approximately 13.5 lakh tube well connections out of a total 15 lakh as key accomplishments during their tenure. Making major announcements, Badal said if the Akalis return to power in 2027, strict measures will be implemented to prevent industrial and sewage waste from entering rivers. He also promised the revival of the Kabaddi World Cup and initiatives to promote Punjabi culture and rural sports, including traditional games and livestock fairs. Additionally, he assured them that all village streets would be paved with cement. Focusing on welfare measures, the party president announced that the Atta-Dal scheme would be revived within the first week of forming the government, offering wheat flour at Rs 4 per kg and pulses at Rs 20 per kg. He also promised financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh for the marriage of economically weaker girls, an increase in old-age pension to Rs 3,100 per month, and the provision of one tube well connection to every farmer. Badal further announced that 75 per cent of jobs would be reserved for the local youth and that interest-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh be provided to encourage entrepreneurship. In the education sector, he stated that 50 per cent seats in medical and engineering colleges would be reserved for students from poor backgrounds. The rally concluded with the party reiterating its commitment to regaining power in the 2027 elections. Preet Nagar Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 26 In a tragic incident reported from the Preet Nagar locality, an elderly man allegedly died by suicide after hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his rented accommodation, sending shock waves through the neighbourhood. The deceased has been identified as Lal Chand, originally a resident of Nirodan in Kangra district, and presently residing in Preet Nagar. According to preliminary information, he had been living alone as a tenant for some time. Panna, owner of the house where the deceased was staying on rent, stated that the elderly man was found hanging from the ceiling fan inside the room. The police were informed about the incident. Upon receiving the information, a police team reached the spot, took cus- tody of the body and initiated inquest proceedings. Investigating officer Manjit Singh stated that the exact cause behind the extreme step is yet to be ascertained. He added that further legal action will be taken after informing the family members of the deceased. Meanwhile, the incident has also raised serious concerns regarding emergency response services. It has been reported that family members and locals tried to contact a government ambulance for nearly two hours to transport the body to the hospital, but no ambulance reached the spot in time. The delay has sparked resentment among residents, who questioned the efficiency of public health emergency services in critical situations. The police have initiated further investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the incident. 2 labourers die as house falls during demolition AAP misusing power to suppress Jalandhar, March 26 Two labourers were reportedly killed when a house being demolished for reconstruction collapsed in Transport Nagar here. The victims have been identified as Dinesh Sahni (38) and Raja Sahni (33), who are related and hail from Samastipur district of Bihar. Promila Devi, wife of deceased Raja Sahni, said the Dinesh and Raja duo had been called in by a contractor to manually demolish a house. She said while earlier a JCB machine had been called in but later Dinesh and Raja were asked to start the work manually. The families of the deceased have alleged negligence in handling the work which cost both of them their lives. A complaint has been lodged with the police. In her complaint, Promila has alleged that no safety kit had been given by the contractor to both labourers in bringing c m y b down the building. She said while Dinesh died on the spot, her husband died while he was being taken to hospital. The police have recovered both bodies and sent them for post-mortem at the Civil Hospital. Gurmail Singh, SHO, Division No. 8, said statements were being recorded to lodge an FIR on the matter against contractor Vijay Kumar. — TNS dissent, says MLA Pargat Singh Jalandhar, March 26 Former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh has again accused the government led by AAP of suppressing voices. He alleged that just as the BJP uses dictatorial methods across the country to silence its opponents and the media, the AAP gov- ernment in Punjab is misusing power to suppress media groups and voices of dissent. Pargat Singh said AAP is adopting the same authoritarian attitude in Punjab that the Modi government is using across India to prevent exposure of its misdeeds. He noted that a few months ago, the Mohali court had clearly stated that only videos containing allegedly false claims should be removed, as freedom of speech is a constitutional right. Despite this, the Punjab Police issued notices to remove 22 more posts, which included several media reports.— OC