01042026-JTR-01.qxd 3/31/2026 10:48 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune SANGAT BEGIN KAR SEWA TO CLEAN HOLY KALI BEIN ‘GREEN SCHOOLS’ IN HOSHIARPUR RISE FROM 12 TO 18 ENJOY AUTHENTIC PAHADI CUISINE AT SIYARAM SIDDU People from around 40 villages pledge to take responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the Bein. P2 These schools have been showcased as role models to inspire other institutions to do the same. P3 Siyaram Siddu offers mouth-watering siddus at its outlets at Panthaghati, Theog, Fagu and The Mall, Shimla. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.46 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:15 AM » WEDNESDAY | 1 APRIL 2026 | JALANDHAR 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. INBRIEF WOMAN GETS LIFE TERM FOR KILLING 6-YR-OLD SON Phagwara: The Jalandhar District and Sessions Court has sentenced Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Sohal village and mother of the deceased Arshdip Singh (6), to life imprisonment. The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. The mother murdered her innocent son and such a crime needs a hard and heavy sentence to give society a clear message, the court said. Avatar Singh, grandfather of Arshdip, had complained to the Shahkot police that his son was in Italy and that he was living with his wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson in his house, sleeping in different rooms. He had said that his daughter-in-law murdered his grandson with a knife after fighting with his wife, as the child was more attached to his grandmother, adding that such a fight was a routine. The Shahkot police had registered a case on June 8, 2020. OC MAN HELD FOR RASH DRIVING Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a bus driver on the charges of causing death by negligence and rash driving. The accused has been identified as Som Nath of Mohalla Rehmanpura, Nakodar. Usman of UP complained to the police that the accused was driving his bus fast and negligently and hit Farjan of UP and killed him. OC Groundwork for single-window citizen services portal begins Govt planned to bring 846 services under ambit of unified service portal last year Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 31 Nearly a year after announcing plans to bring around 846 citizen-centric services under the ambit of a unified service portal, the state government has finally initiated groundwork for its rollout. The move marks a significant step towards consolidating fragmented service delivery and easing public access to government services. While officials have remained tightlipped on the launch timeline, training of the staff responsible for delivering these services has already begun. The rollout, being carried out by the Department of Good Governance and Information Technology, has seen two training sessions conducted so far, with another scheduled for Wednesday, officials said. According to an official list, around 50 services across eight departments have been identified for inclusion in the first phase. These include key services such as issuance of residence, income and border area certificates, SC, BC/OBC and general caste certificates, senior citizen cards, birth, stillbirth and death certificates, medical certificates for government jobs, driving licence fitness certificates, medical certificate for arms licences, old age pension and property transfer in cases of sale or death. Among departments, the Health and Family Welfare Visitors seek public services at Sewa Kendra in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Department will contribute 21 services, followed by the Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department with nine. The Local Government Department will cover six services while the Department of Social Security and Development of Women and Children will have five. The remaining services will be brought in by departments such as social justice, empowerment and minorities, home affairs and justice, rural development and panchayats, and personnel. According to officials, the proposed portal will integrate services currently available on Citizen Connect and eSewa Punjab, offering citizens a single-window platform to access government services. At present, citizens can apply for only 236 services on the Citizen Connect portal, limiting access to online services from home. For a majority of services, citizens still have to visit government offices or Sewa Kendras. These centres provide around 434 services through the eSewa Punjab portal. The unified service portal is expected to bridge this gap by bringing all services onto one platform, reducing the need for multiple interfaces and in person visits. Earlier, in October, Aman Arora, Minister of Good Governance and Information Technology, had said the portal would be accessible through web, mobile application, Sewa Kendras and WhatsApp, allowing citizens to also track the status of their applications. Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a drug peddler for selling intoxicating tablets. As many as 23 tablets were recovered from the possession of the accused Pawandeep Kumar, alias Sajan Rajiwindar, a resident of Bulanda village. A case has been registered under Sections 22/ 29/61/85 of the NDPS Act against the accused. OC Tribune News Service MARRIED WOMAN ENDS LIFE DAMAGE TO STATUE FLAYED Phagwara: Former Union Minister Som Prakash has condemned the recent incident of vandalism involving the statue of BR Ambedkar in Noorpur Jattan village of Garhshankar, terming it a shameful act that has deeply hurt public sentiments. Som Prakash said such actions are completely unacceptable and must be dealt with strictly under the law. oc Ashok Kaura Phagwara, March 31 The Municipal Corporation (MC), Phagwara, has approved a Budget of Rs 4,479.10 lakh for the financial year 2026–27, placing a clear emphasis on administrative expenses while earmarking 32.4 per cent for development works. The Budget, passed during a meeting chaired by Mayor Ram Pal Uppal in the presence of MC Commissioner Shikha Bhagat and councillors, maintains a balance between projected income and expenditure. While a major share of funds will go towards salaries and establishment costs, the allocation of Rs1,452 lakh for development reflects the corporation’s intent to improve infrastructure and public services. The Budget presents a balanced projection, with both income and expenditure estimated at Rs4,479.10 lakh. On the revenue front, the MC has projected Rs750 lakh from property tax and a significant Rs 2,500 lakh share from VAT and GST. Additional income sources include Rs 60 lakh from advertisement tax, Rs 620 lakh from building application and regularisation fees, Rs55 lakh from lease income, and Rs 494.10 lakh through recoveries. The figures highlight the corporation’s continued reliance on tax-based and government-linked revenues, with limited diversification in income streams. On the expenditure side, salaries and establishment costs account for the largest portion at Rs2,812 lakh, Long queues outside vends to get liquor at discounted prices MAN ARRESTED UNDER NDPS ACT Phagwara: A migrant woman ended her life by consuming poisonous substance. The deceased has been identified as Shanti Devi, a native of Bihar and living at Killi village. The police on a statement from Parbhakar Kumar, a native of Bihar and living at Killi village, handed over the body to the family after post-mortem. He told the police that Shanti had consumed some poisonous substance and died. oc A key feature of the portal will be auto fetching of documents, reducing the need for repeated submissions. Once uploaded, documents can be reused across multiple services, helping cut delays and streamline the application process. Vishesh Sarangal, Special Secretary and Director in the Good Governance and Information Technology Department, said, “We are currently testing the portal and trying to include many smart features. It will be launched soon.” Phagwara MC clears ~4,479LBudget,32.4% proposed for growth As fresh liquor contracts will be valid from April 1, booze lovers queue outside liquor vends in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Jalandhar, March 31 Large crowds were witnessed outside several liquor vends in Jalandhar as contractors were clearing old stocks on reduced prices. It was the last day of financial year 2025-26 and new excise contracts will be applicable from tomorrow. It was a much-awaited day for the booze lovers who could be seen standing in long queues waiting for their turn to make the purchases. Even as customers purchase only a bottle or two, many could be seen walking out with full cases of some premium brands. The prices on different brands were down by 30-40 per cent for the last day today. Since there was not much strictness by the police at the nakas to nab people carrying full cases of liquor in their vehicles, the bacchus lovers had a free run today. From tomorrow, the prices of the IMFL and beer will rise in Punjab by 5-10 per cent, while the rates of Punjab medium liquor will remain unchanged as per the new Excise Policy for 2026-27. Assaulted’ by neighbours, couple Mayor assures action on civic ‘ admitted to Kapurthala hospital issues; contractors blacklisted Kapurthala, March 31 A couple was allegedly assaulted by their neighbours due to a long-standing dispute. The injured persons — practising lawyer Mukul Arora and his wife Rashmi Arora — were admitted to the Civil Hospital. Arora said he was at work when his wife called to inform him that their neighbours had come to their home. She told him that they were behaving aggressively and using abusive language. He said he rushed home along with a few colleagues. As soon as he reached there, his neighbours allegedly confronted and attacked him. When his wife attempted to intervene and protect him, she too was assaulted. Both were taken to the hospital, where they are undergoing treatment in the emergency ward. The medical authorities have completed the required legal documentation and forwarded the report to the local police station for further action. The lawyer alleged that their neighbours were facing internal domestic issues and blaming his family without any justification. He claimed that a similar attack had taken place earlier for which a complaint had been submitted to the police and higher authorities. Several members of the legal community arrived at the hospital to express concern and strongly condemned the attack. They urged the police to take prompt and strict action against those responsible.— OC c m y b Jalandhar, March 31 At a general house meeting held on Tuesday, several councillors raised pressing civic concerns, including contaminated water supply, nonfunctional streetlights and delays in the installation and repair of tubewells. A key issue highlighted during the session was the alleged negligence of contractors, with councillors claiming that in many cases, work had either been left incomplete or not started at all. Mayor Vaneet Dhir took a firm stand, stating that the contractors failing to fulfil their responsibilities had already been blacklisted. He emphasised that such negligence would not be tolerated under any circumstances. “This is an important issue you have raised and those who were not working have been blacklisted,” the Mayor said, addressing the House. On the issue of water supply, the Mayor assured members that significant progress had been made. He noted that several tubewells had already been installed and that further work was ongoing to strengthen the infrastructure. Addressing concerns about water contamination, he stressed the urgency of the matter, calling access to clean drinking water a basic human necessity that must be ensured without delay. The shortage of sanitation workers also came under discussion. In response, the Mayor informed the House that the recruitment process for 1,196 safai karamcharis was already underway. — TNS underscoring the administrative burden on the civic body. A provision of Rs215.10 lakh has been made for contingency expenses to meet operational and emergency requirements. The development component is expected to support key sectors such as road construction and maintenance, sewerage and drainage upgrades, improvement of streetlighting, strengthening of water supply systems, park development and basic infrastructure in underdeveloped areas. This allocation, though moderate, is crucial in addressing longstanding civic needs and enhancing the quality of urban services. However, the Budget discussion also brought serious concerns to the forefront. Congress Councillor Sanjeev Bugga raised strong objections, pointing out that many essential services continue to suffer despite repeated allocations in previous years. He alleged that a large number of streetlights across the city remain non-functional, creating safety risks and inconvenience for residents. He also highlighted the poor condition of drainage systems, which often leads to waterlogging and sanitation problems, especially during adverse weather conditions, besides heaps of garbage at several places in the city. The meeting concluded with the approval of the Budget, but the issues raised are expected to remain central to public discourse as residents look for visible improvements in basic amenities. Minor girl missing in Phagwara Phagwara, March 31 The police have registered a case against an unidentified person after a minor girl went missing under suspicious circumstances in Phagwara, following a complaint by her mother, Noorjahan. Phagwara SP Madhvi Sharma stated that according to the complainant, her daughter studying in Class XII had left for her school on the morning of March 30. However, she did not return home after school hours. Worried about her safety, the mother visited the school to enquire about her whereabouts. The school staff informed her that classes had already ended and all students had left for their homes. Subsequently, CCTV cameras installed on the school premises were checked. The footages reportedly showed the girl leaving the school gate around 1:06 pm. Since then, her whereabouts remain unknown. The complainant stated that despite searching nearby areas and contacting relatives, no information about her daughter could be found. She expressed suspicion that an unknown person may have taken the girl with wrongful intent and kept her in illegal custody. Based on her statement, the police have registered a case against an unknown individual and initiated further investigation to trace the missing girl. — OC