04062026-JTR-01.qxd 6/4/2026 12:11 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune REMOVAL OF SILT WORK TO BE ACCELERATED: MINISTER ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH LINKED TO SCREEN TIME, VAPING According to Dr Singh, mental health conditions in adolescents may go unnoticed in the early stages. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 38°C | MIN 22°C WE ONLY MAKE WHAT SOCIETY SHOWS US: FILMMAKER DEO The minister also instructed officials to increase the number of tipper trucks engaged in the desilting work. P2 FORECAST Abhinay Deo feels since crime is all around us, it ends up becoming most consumed genre in cinema too. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5.23 AM » THURSDAY | 4 JUNE 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. Panic as Army drone lands in Adampur High-voltage drama village school, admn dispels rumours outside police station ASSAULT ON MINOR BOY Officials say Army drone strayed out of range during test exercise, no cause for panic Aparna Banerji CHILDREN NOTICED THE DRONE Tribune News Service INBRIEF ONE HELD FOR ABETTING SUICIDE SHAHKOT: The Shahkot police arrested a villager for allegedly abetting suicide. The accused was identified as Joga of Salaichan village.Satnam Singh, a resident of Adarsh Nagar (Dhurr Kot Shahkot, had complained to the police that the accused had harassed his son Harwindar Singh Laddu (19) who committed suicide on May 31. A case under Section 108 of the BNS was registered against the accused.-OC FOUR BOOKED IN ASSAULT CASE NAKODAR:The Nakodar Sadar police have booked four members of a family, including a woman, on the charges of outraging a woman’s modesty. The accused were identified as Buta Ram, a resident of Eeda village, his wife Naridar Kaur and his two sons Talwindar Singh and Sukhwindar Singh. The victim complained to the police that she was returning home on May 27 late in the evening on scooter when the accused assaulted and tore her clothes. A case was registered against the accused.-OC TWO HELD UNDER NDPS ACT NURMAHAL: The Nurmahal police have arrested a man on the charge of selling intoxicant tablets.Twenty nine intoxicant tablets were seized from the possession of the accused identified as Gurveer Singh, son of Santokh Singh, a resident of Kandola Kalan village, SHO said that a case under Sections 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered against the accused.-OC HELD FOR HEROIN CONSUMPTION NAKODAR: The Nakodar Sadar police have arrested a drug addict on the charge of consuming heroin.The accused was identified as Deba, a resident of Rasul Pur village. A silver paper and plastic pipe used for consuming contraband were seized from his possession. A case under Section 27/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered against the accused.-OC Jalandhar, June 3 A suspected drone, found on the playground of a government school at Haripur village in Adampur, spread panic in the area, triggering concerns and suspicions among residents on it being a spy object or a device of unidentified origin. As panicked villagers contacted the police and sought the verification of the drone’s antecedents, the police launched a prompt investigation. Cops later found it to be an Indian-origin device. The drone was found on the playground at 7.30 pm on Tuesday evening. Village sarpanch Nirmal Ram said some children playing in the school playground on Tuesday suddenly found the object land near them. Picking up the device, the children, brought it to villagers, who informed the Adampur police about the matter. ■ Some children playing in the school playground on Tuesday suddenly found the object land near them. Picking up the device, the children, brought it to villagers, who informed the Adampur police about the matter. ■ Taking prompt action, the police administration, led by DSP Rajeev Kumar and SHO Ravinder Kumar, along with a police team, immediately reached the spot. Police teams launched a detailed investigation and the drone was taken into police custody. The police began a detailed probe into the origin of the drone. << TheArmydronefoundatagovernment schoolnearAdampurinJalandharspread panicamongresidents. Taking prompt action, the police administration, led by DSP Rajeev Kumar and SHO Ravinder Kumar, along with a police team, immediately reached the spot. Police teams launched a detailed investigation and the drone was taken into police custody. The police began a detailed probe into the origin of the drone. Anticipating threat to them, villagers demanded a through probe in the matter. Meanwhile, police officials on Wednesday dispelled fears as they informed residents the drone was a stray device, employed by the Army, for tests and they had no cause for fear or concern. Issuing a clarification on the matter, on Wednesday, officials stated, “A news is being circulated on social media claiming that a drone was found on the premises of a government school in Adampur, Jalandhar. DSP Adampur and SHO visited the spot and verified facts. It was found that the object was a drone being operated by Army personnel for testing purposes. Due to it going out of operational range, the drone inadvertently landed/reached the school premises. No suspicious activity has been found to be associated with the incident. The matter was verified on the spot, and there is no cause for concern among the public.” DSP Adampur Rajiv Kumar said, “After the information regarding the drone was received last evening, the school was inspected by me and SHO Ravinder Kumar and the drone was taken for verification. An army personnel present on the spot had informed the police that the drone was theirs. The drone was employed for a test by an Army unit during workshop and had strayed out of range. This was also confirmed by a senior official. Hence there is no cause for concern.” Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, June 3 Tension prevailed here today as members of several social organisations and community groups staged a massive protest outside a police station, raising slogans against the police administration and demanding action against personnel allegedly involved in the assault on a minor boy. The protesters blocked traffic and held a sit-in demonstration, accusing the police of acting unfairly in a family dispute involving a serving Station House Officer (SHO). The demonstrators also sought what they termed “justice” for SHO Ravinder Kumar Pal, claiming that he and his family had been subjected to biased treatment. Addressing the media at the protest site, leaders of the agitating organisations alleged that SHO Ravinder Kumar Pal, who has served at various police stations in Jalandhar Rural district, has been involved in a domestic dispute with his wife for some time. Nine census officials Public hesitancy, poor awareness hamper felicitated by admn drug and socio-economic survey in city Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, June 3 In recognition of their contribution to the ongoing Census 2027 survey, Deputy Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh on Wednesday felicitated nine census officials for successfully achieving 100 per cent census coverage in their respective areas ahead of the stipulated deadline. The Deputy Commissioner presented appreciation letters to the officials and lauded their dedication, commitment and exemplary service in carrying out this important national responsibility. He said the honoured officials not only completed the census work within the prescribed timeframe, but covered a larger population than originally assigned to them, setting a remarkable example of efficiency and professionalism. Among those honoured were seven enumerators — Vijay Kumar, Ranjana Kumari, Nirmaldeep Singh, Sunita Rani, Varinder Suman, Birpal Kaur and Kamaljit Kaur — along with two supervisors, Pardeep Kumar and Amritpal Singh. Addressing the gathering, Aulakh said the achievements of these officials had established a new benchmark in public service and would inspire others involved in the census operation to perform their duties with greater zeal and commitment. He described their contribution as invaluable in ensuring the success of one of the country’s largest data collection exercises. The DC said the Phase-I of the Census 2027 programme was currently on in the district. A total of 1,158 officials had been deployed to conduct doorto-door visits from May 15 to June 13 for the collection of the census-related information. Appealing to the public, he urged residents to extend full cooperation to the enumerators and provide accurate information to them during the survey process. He said reliable census data forms the foundation for evidencebased governance and helps governments formulate people-centric policies and development programmes according to the needs of citizens. Rishika Kriti Admn orders special checking drive against traffic violators Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 3 Nearly a month after the launch of Punjab’s firstever drug and socio-economic survey, progress in Jalandhar remains sluggish, with survey team facing multiple challenges on ground, ranging from public reluctance, low awareness to the lengthy timeconsuming questionnaire. The survey, launched by the Punjab Government to assess the prevalence of drug abuse and understand its socio-economic impact on households, is being conducted through door-todoor visits by trained enumerators. The exercise is being carried out at the polling booth-level, with each enumerator assigned households under a specific polling booth. Official data shows that 24,471 responses had been recorded till 5 pm on June 2, covering 5.08 per cent of the Jalandha’s total voter base. Among the nine Assembly constituencies, Phillaur recorded the highest partic- An enumerator carries out survey at Suranassi in Jalandhar. A TRIBUNE PHOTOGRAPH ipation with 9,309 responses, followed by Kartarpur with 6,348 and Jalandhar Central with 2,769. Jalandhar Cantt reported the lowest participation, with only 948 responses. Reportedly, the district is witnessing 1,500 surveys in a day Enumerators say one of the biggest challenges is getting residents to engage with the survey. Many households either do not open their doors, ask them to come later or remain unavailable during visits. Since the survey is being conducted at the booth level, family members need to be present when enumerators visit, making scheduling another challenge. Sapna, an enumerator in Jalandhar Central, said she had been assigned a target of covering 250 households, but was able to complete only three to four households a day in past 10 days. “Even when residents agree to participate, it takes more than an hour to complete the response of one family member,” she said. Enumerators visiting houses also said that many residents were uncomfortable answering questions related to salary, loans, drug abuse and the nature of crime in their locality. The questionnaire contains more than 125 questions, which many respondents find lengthy and difficult to sit through. No cycling track in city, pedallists face high risk alongside speeding vehicles Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, June 3 It has been over a decade since the cycling enthusiasts in Jalandhar have been awaiting construction of a dedicated track where they can pedal and follow their passion safely every morning and evening. While initially, it was the Jalandhar Improvement Trust that had way back in 2016 promised to the residents of setting up a 12-foot wide and 3 km long to and fro cycling track in Surya Enclave Extension locality for the residents. But the project was never executed and it only remained a proposal. In 2020, former Municipal Corporation Commissioner Karunesh Sharma had announced that a 52-km cycling track would be constructed in Jalandhar under the Smart City project through 66-feet road, 120-feet road, Skylark Chowk, Model Town and Surya Enclave locality roads. But this project too has remained only on paper. The Jalandhar MC had also planned to have rental cycle system wherein users would be able to take cycles on rent from places like bus stand towards Rainak Bazaar, Sabzi Mandi and other areas but even this project has not yet got through. As of now, Jalandhar has no cycling tracks. Even in areas like Focal Point, Industrial WEDNESDAY WAS WORLD BICYCLE DAY Area and Gadiapur, where labourers move in large numbers for work in factories every morning and evenings, They claimed that the couple’s 17-year-old son was detained and physically assaulted by police personnel following an altercation linked to the ongoing family dispute. According to the protesters, the minor was travelling in a vehicle when his mother’s vehicle allegedly collided with his. They alleged that police personnel subsequently took the boy inside the police station, where he was subjected to physical assault, resulting in visible injuries on his chest, legs and face. The demonstrators further claimed that when the SHO arrived at the police station to take custody of his son, he too became involved in a confrontation with police staff present there. The protesting groups also alleged that an attempt was being made to register a false case against the SHO and his elderly mother, accusing them of tearing a police uniform. They maintained that video footage of the incident existed and should be examined before any action is taken. they have to use the same road on which other high speed vehicles move. Disha Sachdeva, who runs c m y b the Ride to Roar Women Cycling Club in Jalandhar, said, “With no dedicated cycling tracks, our safety always remains an issue. We move wearing all cycling gear including helmets, reflectors and lights on bicycles, still we cannot always be sure of safety. For the same reason, we always move in groups. Unlike Chandigarh, there is no separate lane for the pedallists. We have approached the authorities several times on the issue, but to no avail.” For the World Bicycle Day, the group has organised two activities. “We had a cycling expedition last Sunday from Jalandhar to Haveli via Jamsher. Next Sunday, we have an event with Apeejay School”, she said. She added, “A 5-km cycling track was readied along Kanjli in Kapurthala, but that route can no longer be used as there is wild growth all over”. Nitush Chadha, who is a member of the Hawk Cycling Club, said, “Since there are no cycling tracks within the city, the only route that we can move on is Jalandhar to Phagwara or may be ahead towards Behram. Since this road is wide, we get to have a good space on the left lane.” Chadha had met with an accident while cycling about six months ago. “I was hit from behind by a car at PAP Chowk. I suffered injuries on my back, elbow and knee. Since we use expensive cycles and gears, I also ended up spending a huge amount on repair and buying new parts. At that time too, I had raised the issue with the authorities but no one is paying heed,” he fumed. Jalandhar, June 3 In a major effort to improve road safety and reduce accidents, the Jalandhar administration on Wednesday directed the authorities to intensify enforcement against traffic rule violators and strengthen measures aimed at protecting pedestrians and commuters. Chairing a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amaninder Kaur instructed the Traffic Police and Transport Department to launch special checking drives against underage drivers, overloaded vehicles, over-height vehicles and motorists found driving under the influence of alcohol. With overloading in public transport remaining a concern, particularly in autorickshaws, Kaur directed officials to take focused action against such violations. Reviewing the status of accidentproneblackspotsacrossthedistrict, the ADC asked Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to conduct joint inspections along with police officials and road agencies concerned. She directed officials to identifyshortcomingsandexpedite corrective measures at vulnerable locations. The meeting also focused on pedestrian safety. The ADC directed the Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department (PWD) and Mandi Board to prepare a detailed plan for ensuring safer movement of pedestrians. To address other factors contributing to accidents, officials were directed to remove encroachments from roads, clear roadside vegetation that obstructs visibility and repair damaged road stretches. Kaur also instructed police officials to ensure FIRs were registered in all hit-and-run cases. Reviewing the implementation of the Safe School Vehicle Policy, she emphasised that the guidelines must be followed in letter and spirit to ensure the safety of schoolchildren.