19102026-LT-01.qxd 10/19/2026 12:43 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune FARMERS LEARN ABOUT AGRIBIZ, VALUE ADDITION A lecture-cum-exhibition was organised by PAU students at Dolon Kalan village in Pakhowal. P2 » RANBIR KAPOOR SINGS YJHD HIT WITH HARSHDEEP KAUR AYUSHMANN, SARA TURN HEADS AT LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK Ranbir Kapoor recreates Kabira magic with Harshdeep Kaur at Mumbai Durga Puja pandal. P4 The actors walked for designer Manish Malhotra on Saturday evening and both did it in black. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 17°C SUNSET MONDAY 5:48 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 6:27 AM MONDAY | 19 OCTOBER 2026 | LUDHIANA Dasehra fairs: Visitors allege illegal Major fire at garment printing unit in city, stock destroyed parking charges, traffic congestion Tribune News Service ~50 charged for two-wheelers, ~100 for four-wheelers; people question ‘inaction’ Sukhpreet Singh INSPECT VENUES, SDMS TOLD Tribune News Service DC-cum-District Magistrate has directed all SDMs in the district to inspect melas, carnivals and amusement rides during the festive season. The order states that some events were being held without required permissions and adequate safety measures. The SDMs have been asked to verify permissions and safety compliance. If any lapse posing a risk to the public is found, the operation must be stopped and an FIR registered. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, October 18 Visitors to multiple Dashera fairs near Jagraon Bridge and along Chandigarh Road are alleging that they are being fleeced in the name of parking, with contractors reportedly charging Rs 50 for twowheelers and Rs 100 for four-wheelers. The alleged unauthorised collections, coupled with poor traffic management, have added to the woes of commuters, who are facing traffic jams in the area. The visitors said vehicles were being parked along roads, reducing the space available for traffic movement. They questioned why they were being charged for parking on public roads and whether the contractors had official permission to collect the money. “The authorities should clarify who has authorised these parking charges and why public roads are being used for parking,” Jasnoor Singh said, demanding immediate intervention. The situation has raised questions over the arrange- Vehicles parked along a road outside a Dasehra mela venue near the Jagraon bridge in Ludhiana. ments made by the Municipal Corporation and the traffic police to manage the rush during the Dashera celebrations. Commuters alleged that despite the visible chaos, no effective action had been taken to stop the alleged illegal collections or ensure smooth traffic movement. With large numbers of peo- ple visiting the fairs, the lack of proper parking arrangements has become a major concern. The visitors have demanded that the authorities should verify permission given to the contractors, stop any unauthorised collection of fees and ensure that roads remain clear for traffic. The commuters also ques- tioned why the authorities were allowing the situation to continue when the public was being made to pay for parking amid poor management. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate has directed all Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) in the district to inspect melas, carnivals and amusement rides during the festive season. The order states that some events were being organised without required permissions and adequate safety measures. The SDMs have been asked to verify permissions and safety compliance, with Executive Engineers concerned providing technical assistance. If any lapse posing a risk to the public is found, the operation must be stopped and an FIR registered against the contractor, operator or person responsible under relevant laws. The DC warned that any laxity in implementing the order would be viewed seriously. Ludhiana, October 18 A major fire broke out at a garment printing unit on Bahadur Ke Road here on Sunday afternoon, destroying machinery, raw material and a large quantity of stock. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly three hours before bringing it under control. No injury or loss of life was reported. The fire was reported at RV Knit India around 1.40 pm. According to fire officials, the flames had engulfed a section of the ground floor by the time fire tenders reached the scene. The remaining portion of the unit, along with its two upper floors, escaped damage. The unit was reportedly closed when the incident occurred. Neither the owner nor workers could explain how the fire started while officials said the exact cause would be ascertained after an investigation. The presence of a large quantity of garment stock and other combustible material intensified the blaze. Thick black smoke and intense heat made firefighting operations difficult, forcing the personnel The garment printing unit where a fire broke out on Bahadur Ke Road. to proceed cautiously. Sub-fire officer Rajan Sharma said the heat was so intense that it could be felt near the main gate when the team reached the place. Personnel used over 15 rounds of fire tenders to douse the flames and arranged water from two nearby units to sus- FIR registered against man for Raids on to arrest remaining two ‘tearing’ poster of CM Mann suspects; cousin to walk free in case Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 18 The Ludhiana police registered an FIR against a man for allegedly tearing a poster of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Jalandhar Bypass Chowk here. A video of the act was also circulated on social media, in which he challenged the Chief Minister and raised questions over the sale of drugs in the area. A report was also carried in these columns regarding the incident. According to the police, the incident occurred on October 15 during the Punjab bandh. The video surfaced on Facebook on October 17, following which a police team inspected the spot and recovered torn pieces of the official poster of the Chief Minister. In the video, the accused is seen challenging Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying: “This is a challenge. Get as many FIRs registered as you want. Kuldeep Singh is ready to face them. I will tear down every poster of the CM in Ludhiana.” He identified himself as a resident of Talwandi Kalan village and claimed to be associated with Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). The youth also referred to anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, who was recently killed in Mansa, and said the voice of state’s youth could not be suppressed. “Jhota stood for the youth and died. Today we stand for him,” he said, adding that Jhota, Sidhu Moosewala and Amritpal Singh Khalsa represented the voice of the youth. Raising questions over the alleged sale of ‘chitta’ (heroin) in the state, the suspect said officials were well aware of illegal activities. “Which officer does not know that drugs are being sold in a locality? Which officer is unaware of wrongdoings taking place in an area?” he asked. He further alleged that the government was destroying the future of Punjab’s youth through drug abuse and claimed that only a few months of the present government’s term remains. An FIR has been registered against Kuldeep Singh under Section 324(3) of the BNS and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The police said efforts were on to arrest him and strict action would be taken in the matter. EX-SARPANCH’S MURDER Ludhiana, October 18 After the Ludhiana police claimed a major breakthrough in the murder of former Manewal sarpanch Navtej Singh by arresting two key suspects, a fatherson duo, officials said the deceased’s cousin and others earlier booked on the murder charge would walk free in the case. Police officials said a speedy investigation would be carried out to ensure that those involved in the crime face maximum punishment. Raids are under way to nab the remaining two suspects, who might be possessing the weapon used in the crime. The police said during the initial probe, acting on the suspicion raised by the deceased’s Cops address the media in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN son, the victim’s cousin, the cousin’s family members and other associates were nominated in the murder case. However, the investigation cleared the cousin of any involvement. A joint team of the CIA staff and Ladhowal police examined CCTV footage from the area, analysed mobile dump data and carried out electronic surveillance. Acting on spe- cific information, the police named four persons as suspects on October 14. “We now have clear evidence that the cousin was not involved in the murder and that the crime was committed by four other persons. The suspects have been identified as Roor Singh, a resident of Patti Chohle, Kutabwal Gujran, Ludhiana; his son Jaswinder Singh, alias Raja; Manjinder Singh, alias Goru; and Harpreet Singh, alias Preet Singh. Roor Singh and Jaswinder Singh have been arrested while the other two are absconding. The arrested suspects are being interrogated in police remand,” police officials said. ACP Rupinder Singh, DCP (Crime) Harpal Singh, DCP Alam Vijay Singh, Additional DCP (Crime) Rupinder Bhatti, ADCP Sameer Verma, ACP Anil Bhanot and CIA in-charge Inspector Avtar Singh addressed a joint press conference on the matter on Saturday. According to investigators, the murder stemmed from a dispute over 1.5 kanals of land linked to the deceased’s sister. Possession of the plot had been contested for a long time and the matter was pending before a court. — TNS tain the operation. He said the fire was brought under control after around three hours of efforts. The absence of peak-hour traffic offered some relief to the personnel, as reaching the congested industrial area during busy hours often poses a challenge. Mobile snatched from jeweller in broad daylight Ludhiana, October 18 In a broad daylight incident, a mobile phone was snatched from a jeweller on the busy College Road here on Friday afternoon. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras. The incident occurred around 3 pm on College Road. When the victim, Shubham Jain, a jewellery businessman, was standing outside the boutique, he received a phone call. When he took out his mobile to answer the call, a snatcher riding a motorcycle snatched the phone from his hand and sped away before the victim could react. The CCTV footage of the crime that was circulated on social media clearly shows the suspect on the motorcycle committing the crime and fleeing the scene. A case was registered on Sunday. — TNS Women empowerment indicators improve in dist: Survey AI announces winter flight schedule More of them now operating own bank accounts and mobiles compared to previous NFHS-5 survey for Halwara airport from October 25 Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 18 Women in the district have made significant gains in financial inclusion and digital access, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), with more women now operating their own bank accounts and mobile phones compared to the previous NFHS-5 survey. The survey data reveals that 85.2 per cent of women aged 15-49 years currently have a bank or savings account that they themselves use, up from 78.5 per cent in the NFHS-5, marking a substantial increase of 6.7 percentage points. The proportion of women owning and using a mobile phone has increased from NEED TO FOCUS ON MENSTRUAL HYGIENE AWARENESS, ACCESSIBILITY The percentage of young women aged 15-49 years using hygienic methods of protection during menstruation fell from 95.7 per cent in the National Family Health Survey-5 to 85.3 per cent in the NFHS-6, a drop of 10.4 percentage points, indicating the need to focus on menstrual hygiene awareness and accessibility. 71 per cent to 77 per cent, reflecting growing digital connectivity among women in the district. However, one indicator registered a decline. The percentage of young women aged 15-49 years using hygienic methods of protection during menstruation fell from 95.7 per cent in the NFHS-5 to 85.3 per cent in the NFHS6, a drop of 10.4 percentage points, indicating the need to focus on menstrual hygiene awareness and accessibility. Meanwhile, the survey also highlights relatively low levels of tobacco and alcohol consumption among women. Only 0.3 per cent of women aged 15 years and above reported using tobacco, compared with 0.5 per cent in the previous survey. Alcohol consumption among women remained unchanged at 0.3 per cent. “The increase in women operating their own bank accounts is a strong indica- tor of greater financial independence and decision-making power. Economic empowerment often translates into better health, education and nutrition outcomes for families,” said Dr Harleen Kaur, a Ludhiana-based public health specialist. Banking professionals attribute the improvement to financial literacy drives and digital banking initiatives. “More women are directly accessing banking services than ever before. Government schemes, direct benefit transfers and digital banking platforms have encouraged women to manage their finances independently,” said Rohini Gupta, working in a bank in Ludhiana. c m y b Residents and social workers welcomed the findings on financial inclusion but expressed concern over the decline in menstrual hygiene indicators. “Women today are more financially aware and digitally connected, but the fall in hygienic menstrual practices is a matter of concern. There is a need to strengthen awareness campaigns, especially among adolescents,” said a local social activist, Ishreet Kaur. Experts believe the NFHS-6 findings present a mixed picture for Ludhiana, while women are becoming more financially empowered and digitally connected, continued efforts are needed to improve reproductive health awareness too. Sukhpreet Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 18 Air India will operate two daily round trips between Delhi and Halwara airport under its winter schedule, effective from October 25. The revised timings are expected to provide passengers with more options for travelling between Ludhiana and the national capital. As per the schedule, flight AI 481 will depart from Delhi at 9.50 am and arrive at Halwara at 11.05 am. The return flight, AI 482, will leave Halwara at 11.40 am and reach Delhi at 12.55 pm. The second service of the day, AI 483, will depart from Delhi at 2.35 pm and arrive at Halwara at 3.55 pm. Its return flight, AI 484, will leave Halwara at 4.30 The revised timings are expected to provide passengers with more options for travelling between Ludhiana and Delhi. FILE pm and reach Delhi at 5.45 pm. The revised schedule comes as the Halwara airport is expected to strengthen air connectivity for Ludhiana, state’s major industrial and commercial hub. The airport is expected to benefit industrialists, business travellers and residents who have long sought convenient air connectivity from the region. Halwara has been viewed as an important alternative for the city, where passengers have traditionally depended on road travel to reach other airports, including Chandigarh and Amritsar, for a wider choice of flights. Improved connectivity from Halwara is expected to make travel to Delhi more convenient and support business and tourism in the region.