24092026-JTR-01.qxd 9/23/2026 11:01 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune POLICE CONDUCT CASO IN CHAJJ COLONY TO CURB DRUG MENACE REHAB CENTRE INTRODUCES JOB-ORIENTED SKILL TRAINING NORTH-EAST FINDS VOICE ON SCREEN WITH DRAMA ANGH Several persons were taken into custody for questioning, while motorcycles without registration numbers were seized. P2 An electrical workshop and a computer centre have been set up to provide patients with job-oriented skills. P3 As Konyak-language drama Angh enters the Oscar race, the spotlight turns to films from North-East. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.22 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:17 AM » THURSDAY | 24 SEPTEMBER 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. BJP kicks off preparations Ruckus marks Phagwara MC House meeting for Shah’s Sept 30 rally 2L people expected | 2,000 buses, 50-acre venue planned for event Tribune News Service INBRIEF DRUGS, PISTOL SEIZED, 3 HELD Phagwara: The police have arrested three persons after allegedly recovering 260 gram of heroin, 40 intoxicating tablets, one kg of poppy husk, ~41,000 cash, a 9-mm pistol, two magazines and an iron rod during an operation near Shankar Road, Nakodar. The accused are identified as Karamjit Singh, his wife Rano, and another woman Nirmal Kaur of Ismailpur village. The recoveries also included a car without a registration number and documents. The police are investigating the source of the alleged contraband and the circumstances surrounding its possession. OC 72 INTOXICATING TABLETS SEIZED Phagwara: The police have arrested a man after allegedly recovering 72 intoxicating tablets from him near Ramdas Colony, Nakodar. The police were on patrol duty. While proceeding from National College, Nakodar, towards Shankarpur village, the team reached near the BAT and Ball Cricket Academy in Ramdas Colony, where the accused was apprehended. The arrested person was identified as Saleem and 72 intoxicating tablets were recovered from him. OC ELECTRONIC ITEMS REPORTED STOLEN Phagwara: The police have registered a theft case following a complaint by Ujwal Kumar Tiwari, who alleged that several electronic items went missing from his apartment in Phagwara. According to the complaint, Tiwari is residing in Ambey Apartment in Mehatpur of Phagwara. He stated that on September 21, he was sleeping in his room with his friends Pritiyush Mishra and Sharikh Alam. When they woke up in the morning, they allegedly found that several electronic items were missing from the room. These included mobile phones and laptop. OC Jalandhar, September 23 Preparations for Home Minister Amit Shah’s mega rally against drugs at Jalandhar on September 30, began today by the BJP of Jalandhar unit with a havan and path at the rally site. The rally, expected to draw around two lakh people, will be held on a 50-55 acre site selected after months of inspections by party leaders and central teams. BJP leaders said around 40 acres would be used for a tented venue, while an additional 10 to 15 acres would be earmarked for parking. The rally, along with the ongoing ‘Nasha Mukt Yatra’, is being projected as the BJP’s major campaign against drug abuse ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the issue emerging as a key plank of the party’s outreach in the state. Leaders said the four antidrug yatras being conducted across Punjab would culminate at the rally venue on September 30. Besides participants arriving through the yatras, around 2,000 buses carrying BJP workers and leaders from across the state are also expected to reach Jalandhar for the event. While one of the yatras is BJP leaders hold bhumi pujan at the rally venue on the Paragpur road on Wednesday ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH expected to enter Jalandhar on September 29, members of that yatra are also expected to camp at Jalandhar overnight. The BJP also has plans to present drug-affected families from Jalandhar on the occasion. Party leaders said elaborate arrangements are being made for parking, drinking water, medical assistance, security, seating and other essential facilities for the expected gathering. Central teams are expected to begin arriving from Thursday to review preparations and security arrangements at the venue. The days before the rally have been marked by a series of ceremonies and mobilisation programmes. The four anti-drug yatras were flagged off earlier this month, while BJP workers lit earthen lamps across mandals and urban constituencies on September 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. Apart from district urban and rural presidents Ashok Sareen Hicky and Jagbir Brar, MP Ashok Mittal, leaders KD Bhandari, Sushil Rinku, Sheetal Angural, Sarabjit Makkar, Karamjit Chaudhary, Rajesh Kapoor, Amit Bhatia, among others were present. Hicky said the venue had been selected after evaluating several locations. “All arrangements are being put in place to host people from across Punjab. The anti-drug rally is aimed at strengthening the BJP’s resolve to make Punjab drug-free,” he said. Councillors allege corruption Ashok Kaura PHAGWARA, SEPTEMBER 23 The General House meeting of the Phagwara Municipal Corporation, held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mayor Ram Paul Uppal, ended amid noisy scenes, heated exchanges and protests by councillors belonging to the Congress, BJP BSP Aam Aad, , mi Party and Independents. Despite repeated objections from several councillors, 14 of the 16 agenda items were passed, while the proceedings were dominated by allegations of irregularities in civic works, municipal purchases and concerns over transparency in the corporation’s functioning. The meeting took a dramatic turn when AAP councillor Reeta Rani (Ward 43) openly criticised the Mayor’s style of functioning. In protest, she tore copies of the agenda and hurled the papers towards the dais, triggering further commotion in the House. MC Commissioner Randeep Singh Heer remained present throughout the proceedings. The meeting also witnessed controversy over media access. Journalists were reportedly not allowed to attend the General House meeting, and some mediapersons were allegedly asked by the Mayor to leave the hall. The incident sparked Congress Councillor Sanjeev Bugga talks to mediapersons before MC meeting in Phagwara on Wednesday. concerns over transparency and the exclusion of the media from discussions involving civic administration and public issues. Congress councillors Sanjeev Bugga, Sushil Maini, Jatinder Vermani and Bunty Walia, along with BJP councillor Mamta Khosla, raised questions about the functioning of the municipal machinery and levelled allegations of corruption. They sought explanations regarding civic works and municipal purchases and demanded greater accountability from the authorities. Sanjeev Bugga objected to the agenda item related to the covering of the drain behind Jain Model School, stating that it could not be approved. He also raised concerns over meetings of the Finance and Contracts Committee, claiming the matter had not received the committee’s approval. The drain-covering propos- Residents shell out 1,500 deployed for security during Sodal mela ~1.5 L to repair road Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 23 Fed up with the prolonged neglect of a key road in the Model Town area, local residents have got a damaged stretch repaired by pooling money from their own pockets. Resident Sudagar Singh said the road connecting Geeta Bhawan to Tibbi Phatak, passing in front of the electricity office, was constructed over eight years ago. Over time, it developed several potholes, causing inconvenience to residents and commuters. According to Singh, resi- dents repeatedly approached Municipal Corporation officials and the area councillors, urging them to undertake repair work. Despite several representations, no concrete action was taken. Left with no option, Sudagar Singh and Gurwinder Singh Tuli took the initiative to repair the road themselves. They reportedly spent around Rs 1.5 lakh from their own pockets to restore the damaged stretch and improve connectivity for residents. The residents’ initiative has sparked discussion in the locality, with many questioning the government’s claims of development. Jalandhar, September 23 With the annual Baba Sodal Mela scheduled for September 25, the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate has deployed around 1,500 personnel around Shri Siddh Baba Sodal Temple to ensure the safety of devotees and manage the expected rush. During a press conference on Wednesday, Jasroop Kaur Bath, DCP (Law and order), said additional police force from other districts has also been deployed while senior officers will supervise security arrangements at different points around the temple. Police teams will keep a close watch on crowded areas and carry out regular foot patrols during the mela. Besides 1,500 police personnel, a control room has also Police deployed at famous Sodal Mela in Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH been set up opposite the temple for round the clock monitoring. CCTV cameras installed inside the temple and in the surrounding areas will be used to keep an eye on the movement of devotees. Surveillance posts have also been set up at sensitive locations. Security has been further strengthened with the deploy- ment of Quick Reaction Teams, Armed Reserve Police teams, anti-sabotage teams and dog squads. Metal detectors and jammers have been installed at the temple while some personnel will be deployed in plain clothes and others equipped with body cameras. The police have also made special traffic arrangements for the mela. Several areas around the temple have been declared no-entry zones for vehicles where only pedestrians will be allowed. Designated parking areas have been arranged to prevent congestion and ensure the smooth movement of devotees. Police officials said the arrangements would be monitored continuously and personnel had been instructed to remain alert throughout the mela. The police have appealed to devotees to follow traffic restrictions, use designated parking areas and avoid taking vehicles into no-entry zones. They have also been asked to immediately inform the police about any suspicious person, object or activity. — TNS NRIs face hurdles in voter roll revision in Jalandhar Tipper overturns; 3 shops damaged Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 23 For Jalandhar residents living abroad for years who have not acquired citizenship of another country and continue to retain voting rights in India, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has become a challenge as many of them have no longer family members or relatives in the district to respond to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on their behalf to verify their details. The difficulty has come to the fore after the month-long window for filing claims and objections to the draft electoral roll ended on September 12. With the door-to-door enumeration exercise already over, some NRI electors, whose names are missing from the draft roll, are now having to navigate the verifi- cation process from overseas. Voicing his concern, an NRI from Atholi village near Kapurthala said, “I moved to Canada in 2002, but all my properties are here. With hardships, I submitted my documents for the SIR, but my name was missing from the draft voter list. Now, I have been asked to appear physically for my hearing. The authorities have told me that a family member can represent me, but I do not have any family here,” he said. Under the SIR, the Election Commission is verifying electoral records with reference to the 2003 electoral rolls. During the door-to-door exercise, BLOs collected enumeration forms containing details such as family members, EPIC numbers and assembly constituencies. Electors who did not submit the forms or whose details Amid ongoing SIR in Jalandhar, NRI voters with no relatives are facing difficulties in verifying their details. could not be matched with the 2003 electoral data subsequently found their names missing from the draft roll. The issue assumes significance in Jalandhar as around 1.8 lakh electors were left out of the draft electoral roll published on August 13 after their enumeration forms were not received during the revision exercise. Officials said the pending cases also include electors who were found absent from their addresses and could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Navjot Dahiya, Congress c m y b leader from Nakodar, said the authorities should use immigration data to trace eligible NRI electors who could not be contacted despite efforts by BLOs, sarpanches and Municipal Corporation officials so that their names are not deleted from the electoral roll. Varjeet Walia, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Jalandhar, said, “NRI electors facing difficulties could seek help from any known person during hearings. “Even domestic help can represent them during the hearings. In cases where even this option is not available, they can be exempted from appearing in person, giving an option to appear digitally,” officials said. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 12 after disposal of claims and objections by October 8. Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 23 A sand-laden tipper overturned near Dosarka village on the Talwara-Daulatpur road yesterday, damaging the shutters of three roadside shops. The driver Nishan Singh escaped unhurt. According to the driver, he was carrying sand from Himachal Pradesh towards Ferozepur. He said he tried to negotiate potholes and avoid a tractor-trolley ahead of him, forcing the tipper onto the unpaved roadside. The soft shoulder gave way, causing the vehicle to overturn. A sticker reading “On Railway Duty” on the windscreen also drew attention. The driver said he had earlier worked with the Nangal- Talwara railway recruitment process and was now transporting sand for private work. During questioning, he reportedly failed to produce a transit receipt for the material. The incident has again raised questions over the movement of mining material in the Kandi belt, particularly when stone crushers in the Talwara block are reportedly closed in view of a pending mining-related case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Mining Department JE Pushpinder Sabharwal said a complaint would be submitted to the police. The tipper owner produced bills from Bharat Stone Crusher in Hajipur, located around six km from the accident site. al had been brought forward in view of concerns about the open drain and the safety of children, particularly during the monsoon, when rainwater reportedly accumulates in the area. The issue of streetlights also figured prominently during the meeting, with several councillors raising complaints about faulty lights and the alleged partial supply of replacement bulbs. They questioned why streetlightrelated problems continued to affect residents and sought clarity on the procurement and distribution of materials. Bugga demanded a highlevel inquiry into the purchase of streetlight bulbs and other materials. The meeting concluded amid considerable commotion, with the passage of 14 agenda items contrasting with the strong objections and allegations raised by councillors. Door-to-door campaign by MP Chabbewal in Phagwara Our Correspondent Phagwara, September 23 MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal on Wednesday launched a door-to-door campaign under the banner ‘Mann De Munafe’ in Phagwara, reaching out to residents across various wards and interacting with them face-to-face. During the interactions, Dr Chabbewal highlighted the government’s initiatives and development works undertaken since 2022, covering sectors, including health, education, roads, social security, sports, rural infrastructure, agriculture, irrigation and employment. He said under the campaign, the government was taking its four-and-a-half-year report card directly to people’s homes. Highlighting the financial benefits of the government’s work, he said every family was receiving an annual benefit of Rs 1.82 lakh through initiatives, including free electricity, healthcare, education and Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojna. Highlighting the electricity relief being provided to domestic consumers, Dr Chabbewal said under the provision of 300 units of free electricity per month, more than 90 per cent of domestic consumers were receiving zero electricity bills. He also highlighted the government’s financial assistance initiatives for women, stating that eligible women under the general category were being provided Rs 1,000 per month, while eligible SC women were receiving Rs 1,500 per month, besides the provision of free bus travel facilities for women.