07102026-LT-01.qxd 10/7/2026 12:51 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune KHEDAN WATAN PUNJAB DIYAN DIST GAMES END MANOCHAHAL: A VILLAGE ROOTED IN HISTORY, FAITH Competitions in 29 sports disciplines were held at the district level from September 28 to October 6. P2 Manochahalvillage, situated south of Tarn Taran city, is known for its significant role in freedom struggle . P3 » » TUNE IN TO TRADITION WITH HINDUSTANI, CARNATIC MAESTROS FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6:01 PM The 48th Chandigarh Sangeet Sammelan brings leading Hindustani and Carnatic maestros to the city. P4 SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:19 AM » WEDNESDAY | 7 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Mechanical sweeping project put Public transport remains a distant dream in state on hold at civic body’s F&CC meet MC’s claims of receiving fleet of 100 e-buses by Aug-Sept fall flat Proposal envisaged spending ~2,500 per km monthly on mechanical sweeping, washing of roads Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 The proposed mechanical sweeping and washing of nearly 695 km of roads in the city was put on hold by the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation (MC) on Tuesday, with members questioning the estimated cost and the practicality of washing bituminous roads. The issue was highlighted in these columns today. The proposal envisaged spending around Rs 2,500 per km per month on mechanical sweeping and washing. However, Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar and councillor Gaurav Bhatti raised objections during the F&CC meeting held at the Mayor’s Camp Office near Rose Garden. The members said the proposed expenditure was high and sought clarity on the need for washing roads, particularly as a large portion of the city’s road network had bituminous surfaces. Earlier in the day, former Congress councillor Mamta Ashu had also questioned the proposal. She said the MC should first compare rates being offered by other municipal corporations in the state before proceeding with 3 kg of heroin seized, three held Ludhiana, October 6 The Special Cell of Ludhiana police has seized 3.134 kg of heroin from Daba Colony. Three persons were arrested and Rs 1.05 lakh in cash, 80 empty pouches and four digital weighing scales were also seized from them. The large haul is being seen as a significant blow to the narcotics network in the region. According to police, a team led by SI Baljeet Singh of the Special Cell was on patrol in the area. When the police team reached Daba Colony, they noticed some persons exchanging a wax-coated pouch outside a house. Acting on suspicion, the police detained and searched them. During the search, 3.134 kg of heroin and other items were seized. — TNS Officials during the F&CC meeting; and (right) BJP councillors protest outside the Mayor’s camp office in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the tender. She also pointed out that regular washing of bituminous roads might not be practical. The committee also kept on hold a proposal to install high-mast street lights at various locations in the East constituency. The project was proposed under the Rangla Punjab scheme but the agenda also stated that the MC could bear the expenditure from its own funds if the sanctioned funds were not received. The members questioned the move, saying the civic body should not commit its own funds for a project that was proposed to be financed under a separate scheme. Another proposal concerning the installation of LED lights at the indoor stadium also faced objections. The estimated expenditure was over Rs 1 crore. Members pointed out that the stadium did not even have a regular electricity connection and questioned the rationale behind installing new LED lights before resolving the basic power-supply issue. The proposal was consequently kept pending. The meeting also witnessed objections over the supplementary agenda. When the additional resolutions were placed before the members, councillor Gaurav Bhatti declined to approve them without examining the details. He moved to another corner of the Mayor’s camp office and went through the resolutions before the proceedings continued. The number of resolutions on the agenda eventually rose to 85. Raid reports spread panic among AAP leaders in city Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 Since Tuesday evening, panic has gripped AAP leaders following reports of CBI raids in the city. While there was no official confirmation of the searches, several political leaders took to social media to claim that the CBI had conducted raids on Amandeep Singh Grewal, a close associate and relative of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Reports of the alleged raids continued to circulate till late in the night. According to information, the searches were carried out in the Barewal area, where Grewal resides. He is a former sarpanch of a vil- lage in Ludhiana. Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia also posted on X about the alleged raids on Grewal. Meanwhile, a senior district leader of the Aam Aadmi Party confirmed to The Tribune that the CBI had conducted a raid on the residence of the Chief Minister’s close associate. The reports triggered anxiety among AAP leaders, political circles and police officials. The CBI had earlier conducted raids at the Chief Minister’s camp office in Chandigarh and several other locations. Grewal has been named in allegations linked to the purported settlement of a Rs 5crore rape case. BJP councillors protest over recruitment of 1,208 outsourced safai sewaks A protest by BJP councillors outside the Mayor’s camp office on Tuesday brought the deployment of 1,208 outsourced sanitation workers in the Municipal Corporation under the spotlight, with the councillors questioning their presence in wards and seeking details of their deployment. Issue of integrated solid waste management and mechanical sweeping was also highlighted and they raised the questions to cancel the project. The councillors alleged that they had not seen the workers assigned to their respective wards and claimed that repeated requests for the list of employees had not yielded any information. They also alleged that the MC was paying salaries to the workers every month despite the lack of clarity over their actual deployment, calling it a waste of public money. The protest began on the road leading towards the Mayor’s camp office. Later, councillor Gauravjit Gora asked the BJP councillors to move closer to the camp office and stage their protest. Police personnel deployed at the entrance initially stopped the councillors from entering the lane. It led to a brief argument, with the councillors telling the police that they were elected members of the House and had the right to meet Mayor Inderjit Kaur. The councillors were subsequently allowed to enter and sat outside the Mayor’s camp office in protest. Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 The dream of residents to have a reliable public transport system in the city remains distant, as the Municipal Corporation’s claims of receiving a fleet of around 100 e-buses by August-September have fallen flat. Construction of bus shelters and charging stations is still incomplete, delaying the rollout. Interestingly, Ludhiana is not the only affected city. Electric buses have not been introduced in Amritsar, Jalandhar or Patiala either. Highly placed sources in the department said the buses are unlikely to be deployed before December as charging infrastructure and depots are not ready in any of the cities. Ludhiana Mayor Inderjit Kaur said the work assigned to the state government had been completed but she would have to ascertain reasons behind the delay in launching public transport services under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme. In a bid to revive the public bus transport after the failure of the city bus service launched in 2011 and discontinued in 2024 due to traffic congestion and operational challenges, Ludhiana received a major boost under the PM eBus Sewa scheme. The city was selected for the deployment of 100 electric buses. CONSTRUCTION OF BUS SHELTERS, CHARGING STATIONS STILL INCOMPLETE Construction of bus shelters and charging stations is still incomplete, delaying the rollout. Interestingly, Ludhiana is not the only affected city. Electric buses have not been introduced in Amritsar, Jalandhar or Patiala either. The scheme also envisaged the development of two e-bus depots to support parking, charging, maintenance and day-to-day operations of the fleet. Ludhiana was among the first cities in the state chosen for the project. Besides Ludhiana’s allocation of 100 buses, Amritsar was to receive 100 buses, Jalandhar 97 and Patiala 50. However, none of these cities has received the e-buses so far. The initiative is a part of the government’s efforts to modernise urban mobility and provide residents with an affordable alternative to private vehicles. In Ludhiana, two depots were proposed. The Ghora Road depot was planned to cater to 70 electric buses while the Hambran Road depot was to accommodate the remaining 30. However, construction works at the depots is yet to be completed as per the required norms. According to the operational plan prepared by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), seven e-bus routes were proposed across the city, covering a network of around 152 km. The proposed net- work was expected to serve nearly 53 sq km or about 33 per cent of the municipal area, connecting residential localities, industrial clusters and other key destinations. Former BJP councillor Inder Aggarwal said the fate of the earlier city bus service was well known, with buses lying defunct and gathering dust. “There has to be political will and transparency to run such a service and provide facilities to the public. The present state government lacks both,” he alleged. The seven proposed routes include Elysian Tower-Tajpur village, Ludhiana Zoo-Dhandari Kalan via Giaspura, Hambran Bus Depot-Sahnewal, Ayali Octroi-Dana Mandi Road, ChuharpurMeharban, Hambran Bus Depot-Mangli Octroi and Jodhewal Basti Chowk (Rahon Road)-Dhandari. Officials had earlier claimed that the e-bus service would begin from the Hambran Road depot in August, providing residents with an affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly mode of transport. However, the project remains stuck due to infrastructural delays. Member of Mukul Mattu gang nabbed with weapons Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 The Ludhiana police claimed to have nabbed a member of notorious Mukul Mattu gang, wanted in a old gang war case. The police also seized two illegal weapons, including a sophisticated foreignmade weapon from the possession of the suspect. He was identified as Kishu, alias Guru, a resident of Karabara chowk. The recovered weapons include a .30 bore PX5 pistol and a .30 bore countrymade gun with three cartridges from the man. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Financial Crime) Beant Juneja stated that a police team, led by ASI Harjap Singh under the campaign against gangsters launched by the Punjab Police, arrested Police officials show illegal weapons seized from a member of the Mukul Mattu gang in Ludhiana on Tuesday. a suspect, a member of the Mukul Mattu gang. He was wanted in a gang war reported in the area under the Police Division 4 last month. Juneja said the Kishu had a criminal background as he had been facing four cases registered against him at various police stations in Ludhiana. The suspect had even come out of jail in November 2025 on bail and again started notorious activities related to the gang. “In September, members of Mattu gang and rival Movish Bains gang had exchanged fire in which a member of the Movish gang, identified as Akash Mattu, had suffered a bullet injury. Akash has been arrested, though no recovery of any illegal weapon is made so far from the suspect. His questioning will be done to inquire about weapons used during the gang war and the same will be recovered,” the ACP said. Sources said gangster Mukul Mattu was a tubewell operator with the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. He was dismissed from service. He had a criminal background and was facing trial in eight cases. The gangster was also reportedly involved in threatening a trader at gunpoint to silence him in a drug peddling complaint. “We will bring Mattu on production warrant from the Central Jail, Ludhiana, to question him about activities of his gang members being reportedly managed from the prisons. His questioning will may give vital leads to the police. Even the recovered sophisticated weapon is also reportedly smuggled from across the border,” the ACP said. Clinic owner robbed Insurance co told to pay ~4.35L for stolen laptops Close shave as school bus carrying kids hits power pole of gold rings, money Legal Correspondent Tribune News Service udhiana, October 6 Five miscreants waylaid and robbed an Ayurvedic clinic owner near the old Madhopuri bridge here while he was returning home late on the night of October 3. The suspects fled with his two gold rings, around Rs 25,000 in cash, two mobile phones and other belongings. The complainant, Gagandeep Jain (51), a resident of Mahavir Jain Colony, told the police that he had closed his clinic around 10.15 pm on October 3 and was heading home when five persons sur- rounded him near the old Madhopuri bridge. The miscreants threatened him and snatched two gold rings from his fingers, two purses and a bag containing about Rs 25,000 in cash, his driving licence, two ATM cards, a silver coin and two mobile phones. The Police Division 3 registered an FIR on October 5 against unidentified persons and launched further probe. ASI Kulbir Raj said the police were checking the CCTV footage of the crime scene and surrounding roads to trace the route taken by the suspects. The suspects would soon be identified and arrested. Ludhiana, October 6 The Permanent Lok Adalat ( PLA), Ludhiana, has directed National Insurance Company Limited to pay Rs 4,35,335 to a computer and laptop dealer for 13 laptops stolen from his shop at Kochar Market here in 2019. PLA Chairman Preeti Sahni and members Jaswant Singh and Rakesh Satija also awarded Rs 10,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses to Micro IT Solutions. The applicant, proprietor Nitin Verma, had obtained a burglary insurance policy from the National Insurance Company for goods lying in his shop. On the night intervening October 15 and 16, 2019, 13 laptops were stolen from his shop. The value of the stolen laptops, as per invoices produced before the adalat, was Rs 4,35,335. An FIR was registered at the Division No 5 police station in this regard. The insurance company had appointed a surveyor and an investigator. While the investigator opined that around five or six laptops had been stolen and assessed the loss between Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 1.80 lakh. The insurer subsequently approved Rs 1,27,265 in full and final settlement but the applicant declined c m y b to accept the amount. The insurance company contended that the shop measured only 10 feet by 15 feet and had a small counter capable of accommodating only four or five laptops. It also argued that the applicant had failed to furnish the untraceable report within the stipulated period and that the claim was consequently closed as ‘no claim’. Rejecting the contention, the Lok Adalat observed that a 10x15 shop was of a reasonable size and laptops were small enough for several of them to be displayed or stored there. “The respondent has placed on record the copy of sale register of the shop in question from April 1, 2019, to October 15, 2019. The perusal of the record reveals that the applicant firm is doing good business in the shop. When it was doing good business as per the sale record produced by the respondent, if laptops, 13 in number, were found stolen, it cannot be stated to be an exaggerated one or false version,” observed the PLA. The insurance company has been directed to make the payment within two months. In case of failure, it will have to pay interest at 6 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the application till realisation. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 6 Panic gripped the Aman Nagar area on Tuesday after a school bus carrying around 20 children collided with an electricity pole, bringing down the pole and wires on the vehicle. The impact caused panic among the children. Hearing a loud sound, local shopkeepers and residents rushed to the scene and helped the students get out of the bus. Their parents were informed about the incident, who also rushed to the spot. Residents alleged that the accident occurred due to the negligence of the bus driver. They also claimed that the driver fled the scene after the incident. A police team reached the scene and started an investigation. Officials said further action would be taken on the basis of findings of the probe. Sarabjit Singh, Munshi of the Salem Tabri police station said: “No children got injured during the accident. The bus driver fled the scene after the incident and investigation is on in the matter.”