02082026-TTC-01.qxd 02-08-2026 00:29 Page 1 c m y b CABINET EASES RULES FOR SATELLITE TOWNSHIP HP /thetribunechd 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 212 | 18 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 NOTED CLIMBER PURJA DIES INPoK AVALANCHE WORLD sunday | 2 august 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Last Date: 3rd August 2026 If you have still not filled and submitted your Enumeration Form to the BLO, please do so by tomorrow to ensure your name is included in the Draft Electoral Roll. #SIRPunjab2026 #SIRP j b2026 Follow Us @TheCEOPunjab www.ceopunjab.gov.in Issued in public interest by Chief Electoral Officer,Punjab c ~50 lakh fine, 10-year jail: StinkingLudhianatobreatheeasyassanitation Amended anti-paper leak workers call off 6-day stir after talks with Bains law kicks in with up fast-track courts Prez nod Legislation empowers states to set Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 1 The amended law empowering states to set up fast-track courts for the speedy trial of those accused in paper leak cases, while also enhancing fines and prison terms, has received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent. In a gazette notification issued on July 31, the Law Ministry said President Murmu had given her assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament earlier this week. The Act seeks to further strengthen the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, by providing for fast-track investigations, speedy trials through special fast-track courts, the appointment of special public prosecu- Jaismine Lamboria Preeti Pawar RAHUL, PAPPU BOOKED OVER TEMPLE THEFT SKIT LoP Rahul Gandhi and MPs Pappu Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad have been booked in Varanasi for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over their skit on the Ram Temple donation theft at Parliament complex. TEEN APOLOGISES FOR REMARKS AGAINST PM A 15-year-old girl from Noida, against whom a zero FIR was registered over alleged objectionable remarks targeting PM Narendra Modi during the CJP protest, has released a video apologising for her comments, saying she was influenced by others at the demonstration. tors, time-bound disposal of appeals and stricter penal provisions aimed at deterring continued on page 6 Sakshi Chaudhary Priya Ghanghas BHIWANI’S GOLDEN GIRLS Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, August 1 Haryana’s Bhiwani has long been celebrated as “India’s Cuba” for its rich boxing heritage. The town has once again lived up to its reputation at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with local pugilists, along with a few others from across the state, securing an impressive haul of medals, including four gold, one assured silver (the final is yet to be played) and two bronze. What stands out this time, however, is the dominance of the women boxers, who outshone their male counterparts. In fact, all four gold medals have been won by Bhiwani’s women pugilists: Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (51kg) and Priya Ghanghas (60kg). Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), who belongs to Rajasthan but has continued on page 6 NEERAJ BAGS SILVER, YASHVIR BRONZE Javelin superstar NEERAJ CHOPRA (L) produced his season’s best throw of 85.83M under testing conditions to win a silver medal, while Bhiwani-born YASHVIR SINGH fetched a surprise bronze in the CWG event. Yashvir produced a personal best throw of 85.41M in his final attempt. Students need PM’s apology, not his forgiveness: Rahul Rinku Behera Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 1 Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks about “forgiving” students, saying they did not need the Prime Minister’s forgiveness but that he owed them an apology. He alleged that the government had failed to understand the pain and struggles of students and their families affected by examination irregularities. “India’s students do not need his forgiveness. He owes them an apology,” Rahul said in a continued on page 6 Traffic moves at a snail's pace as garbage is strewn along a road by protesting safai workers at Dugri Chowk, Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Give pure petrol option: Kejriwal calls march to PM’s residence on Aug 4 Anshita Mehra Says not afraid of lathis, will submit two lakh signatures against E20 Tribune news Service New Delhi, August 1 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday intensified his campaign against the Centre’s E20 fuel policy, demanding that consumers be given the option to choose between pure petrol and E20 at fuel stations. He also announced that he would march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on August 4 to submit over two lakh petitions opposing the move. Addressing a gathering at the Constitution Club here, Kejriwal urged the Centre to sell both pure petrol and E20 at fuel stations, make E20 cheaper than pure petrol and reduce petrol prices to below Rs 84 per litre. He claimed more than seven lakh people participated in the event online and offline. Announcing the next phase of the campaign, Kejriwal said he would leave for the Prime Minister’s residence at noon on August 4 with a group of 100 people to hand over printouts of more than two lakh online petitions signed against E20. “I hope we will be allowed to go up to the same point where the Leader of the Opposition was allowed,” he said, adding that only those “not afraid of police lathis or going to jail” MUKESH AGGARWAL Aksheev Thakur Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi. BJP: SHOW PROOF OF VEHICLE DAMAGE Challenging Kejriwal to produce evidence of vehicle damage due to E20, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said ethanol use could save nearly ~1 lakh crore in foreign exchange while increasing sugarcane farmers’ income by around ~50,000 should accompany him. The former Delhi Chief Minister alleged that the Centre was “forcibly imposing” E20 fuel and claimed the policy would damage vehicles that were not designed for higher ethanol blends. He advised people against buying petrol or diesel vehicles until vehicles continued on page 6 Hockey India at it again, coach on leave ahead of WC Vinayak Padmadeo Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 1 Days after Hockey India came under fire for replacing the team’s iconic blue jersey with saffron, the federation has sparked fresh controversy by sanctioning leave for women team’s chief coach Sjoerd Marijne ahead of the FIH World Cup. Marijne has been on leave Skipswomenteam’scamp,Germanytour; timingquestioned since July 12 and is expected to join the team in the Netherlands on August 6. As a result, he missed the team’s preparation camp in Bengaluru and its opening practice match against Germany on Friday. The Indian team, led by Salima Tete, is currently in Heilbronn, Germany, for practice matches. From there, it will travel to the Netherlands for the final phase of preparations for the World Cup, to be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30. India will play their first match against China on August 16. Interestingly, both Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned the chief coach’s leave, even as he is away on a personal engagement with his family. Analytical coach Matias Vila has taken charge in Marijne’s absence. Despite repeated attempts, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey was unavailable for comment. However, former FIH and Hockey India president Narinder Batra criticised continued on page 6 Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including six-page Spectrum. c m y b Ludhiana, August 1 Sanitation workers in Ludhiana on Saturday called off their six-day-long strike after a marathon meeting lasting over eight hours with Local Bodies Minister Harjot Singh Bains. With heaps of garbage strewn across the city during the agitation, the clean-up drive began immediately after the announcement around 7 pm, as workers started lifting waste with the help of machines and JCBs ahead of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s visit tomorrow. Ludhiana had been stinking over the past few days, with foul odour emanating from heaps of garbage at roadsides and street corners as sanitation workers remained on strike for six days. At a press conference late in the evening, Bains announced that the strike had been called off across the state and garbage lifting would begin soon. He said all the important demands of the unions had been accepted by the AAP government and the two sides would meet again on Monday in Chandigarh to put everything in writing. Bains also said stern action would be taken against those misleading safai sewaks and sewermen by posting fake letters on social media. Among the major demands accepted by the state government was the absorption, from August 1, of outsourced workers who have been working for three years. Their salary has also been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,520 per month. Another demand accepted by the state government is that all safai sewaks and sewermen who were appointed on contract in 2021 will be regularised. Ludhiana Nagar Nigam Karamchari Sangh president DP Khosla too said all major demands of safai sewaks had been accepted and a Bill would soon be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha. “Our main demands included regularisation of contractual staff and that there should be no cap on their number as they continued on page 6 Migrant labourer injured in Kulgam attack succumbs SRINAGAR: A migrant worker from Chhattisgarh, who was critically injured in Friday’s terror attack in Kulgam, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, officials said. The death has taken the toll in the attack to two. Officials identified the deceased labourer as Bopinder. He was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar after sustaining critical injuries in the attack, but later succumbed during treatment. INSIDE Commercial LPG prices cut by ~200 Aditya Rangroo Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 1 The prices of commercial LPG were on Saturday reduced by over Rs 200 per 19-kg cylinder across the country, making it the second downward revision since July 1 when the rates were cut by Rs 183.50. After the outbreak of the West Asia conflict, commercial LPG rates had risen by a massive Rs 1,373 per 19-kg cylinder, from Rs 1,740.50 in February to Rs 3,113.50 continued on page 6