05022019-LT-01.qxd 2/5/2019 12:17 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana TRIBUNE FLOW OF POPPY HUSK FROM J&K ON THE RISE PAGE 3 Ever since the state government has increased vigil, peddlers have found an easy route from J&K. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY INBRIEF PAGE 4 WORLD CANCER DAY: DOCS STRESS ON DIET, LIFESTYLE Hospitals hold awareness seminars. Dr Gulati says cancer is second leading cause of death globally. MAX 21°C | MIN 11°C | YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6:05 PM Tribune News Service Ludhiana: Residents of Guru Arjan Dev Nagar in Ward No. 41 have written to the Municipal Corporation authorities about sewers overflowing in the area for the past many days. The residents have sought early solution to their problem. Gajjan Singh Jassal said they had been suffering for the past more than two months but the civic body had paid no attention to their plight. “We have made several complaints, but to no avail. We appealed to the Mayor and the Commissioner to instruct the officials concerned to fix the problem of overflowing sewers in our streets at the earliest. If the conditions are not improved, there are chances of an epidemic outbreak,” said Jassal. TNS POWER SHUTDOWN LUDHIANA 9 am to 5 pm: Mehmoodpura Pind, Dhandra Pind, Sant Sunder Singh Nagar, Khanna Colony, Tera Nagar, Bajwa Colony, Ekta Vihar, City Enclave, Green City and adjoining areas. 10 am to 2 pm: Mall Road, Sham Singh Road, Mall Enclave, National Road, Civil Street and Ghumar Mandi areas. FUEL PRICES PETROL ~75.98 DIESEL ~65.90 WHAT’S ON LUDHIANA Zonal Annual Session by CII: Park Plaza; 5:30 pm to 8 pm. Ram Lal Bhasin Memorial Inter-School Declamation Contest: SDP Senior Secondary School, Hazuri Road, Ludhiana; 10 am. Ludhiana, February 4 It seemed to be a Ludhiana East Congress versus Ludhiana West Congress show at the first MC House meeting of this year today as Congress MLA Sanjay Talwar blamed Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu for ignoring the wards of his constituency. Making a verbal attack on the Mayor, Talwar even said Sandhu should recall the MLA's role in “making” him the city mayor. On February 1, Talwar had demanded that the Mayor should provide a list of all working sewer men, safai workers, gardeners and other employees to all House members. He had also asked the Mayor through the letter to inform the House members about action taken against illegal constructions and developers of illegal colonies. During the meeting, the Mayor said the information was not ready but it would be provided soon as they had forwarded the letter to the MC chief. Talwar sought a special meeting on Tuesday to provide this information, but he got no response from the Mayor to his demand. “It is the responsibility of the Mayor to make sure the councillors get the required information. The files related to wards of Ludhiana East are not being cleared by the Mayor. Around 8 lakh people living in wards under Ludhiana East are suffering. Adequate generators are not being provided to ensure the functioning of sewer disposal units in the wards of our constituency,” he said. “No action is taken against developers who have not applied for regularisation of their illegal old colonies and at the same time applied for a new illegal colony. If our councillors visit the MC offices, the officials refused to clear their files by saying that no work can be conducted in undeclared Leader of Opposition Harbhajan Singh Dang speaks at MC House meeting. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN WHAT MAYOR SAYS WHAT OTHER MLAS SAY Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said information about sewer men, safai workers, gardeners and other information sought by MLA Sanjay Talwar would be provided at the earliest. He said there would be no pick-and-choose policy for illegal colonies. On the issue of outdoor media project tenders, he said the MC would generate about Rs 2 crore from advertisements per month. Sandhu said they were doing their best to improve the condition of wards without any discrimination. During the meeting, MLA from Ludhiana North Rakesh Pandey asked the authorities as to why information about sewer men, sweepers and others was not ready. He demanded that the Finance and Contract Committee should be completed as its two members were yet to be nominated. He asked when the LED street lights project would be started in other wards. MLA Surinder Dawar urged House to ensure proper lifting of garbage and action against A2Z company if they failed to improve the solid waste management system. LED STREET LIGHTS Municipal Commissioner Kanwalpreet Brar assured the MLAs that installation of LED street lights would be started in the remaining wards from February 15. The LED street light project was launched from Ludhiana West and lights have been installed at around 400 points, an official said. Sources said work was stopped a month ago. colonies,” he said. He also asked the Mayor as to why gardeners are not being arranged for the undeveloped parks in Ludhiana East. “There is no dignity of our councillors as their issues are often ignored,” he said. Talwar claimed that most sewers were overflowing in wards as dyeing units release their waste water into the MC sewers. “The sewer connections of some erring units were snapped but the Mayor ordered for their restoration,” he said. He also questioned a proposal for the allotment of work to a successful advertising firm. He threatened that he would complain to the Local Bodies Minister if the issues of the Ludhiana East wards were not addressed. A councillor claimed that works were being done in the Ludhiana West constituency represented by Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. Coming in support of the Mayor, Congress councillor from Ward No. 82, Sunny Bhalla warned Talwar against “insulting” the Mayor. "Why are you raising issues of Ludhiana East to insult the Mayor as there are issues in other wards of the city too?" Bhalla asked the MLA. “We will not tolerate insult of the Mayor whether you file a complaint to the Local Bodies Minister or the Prime Minister. If you have any problem, then give it in writing,” Bhalla told Talwar. Meanwhile, other Con- gress councillors also came in support of the Mayor. Councillor from Ward No. 67 in the Ludhiana West constituency and Ashu’s wife, Mamta Ashu, raised objections to Talwar’s demand for getting details about the outdoor advertisement tenders. She was also seen raising objections to other questions raised by Talwar. Congress councillor from Ward No. 90 Jai Parkash tried to pacify Talwar and asked him not to discuss this all at House meeting. Even an LIP councillor asked Talwar to provide proof before levelling any allegations. Meanwhile, a few Congress councillors were seen exchanging heated arguments with each other. It’s curtains for 9-decade-old hospital Under ~5.16-crore loss, Dr BL Kapur Memorial Hospital to be closed down within a few days Manav Mander RICH HISTORICAL PAST Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 4 Around 90 year old, Dr BL Kapur Memorial Hospital run by the Lahore Hospital Society would be closed down permanently within a few days. The 100 bed hospital and a nursing school have its roots attached to Lahore. The hospital has already sought permission from the Labour Department for the closure and has also submitted an undertaking for clearing pending dues of employees working in the hospital. SS Randhawa, Assistant Labour Commissioner said, “The undertaking to clear all pending dues has been submitted by the hospital. The department has already conducted three-four meetings with the management to ensure that pending dues of the employees are cleared by the hospital authorities. There are nearly 70-75 employees in the hospital TUESDAY | 5 FEBRUARY 2019 | LUDHIANA It's Cong vs Cong at MC House meeting Harshraj Singh SEWERS OVERFLOW IN WARD NO. 41 PAGE 4 109 probables (U-16) have been selected at trials conducted by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association. SUNRISE DAY 7:15 AM Talwar blames Mayor for ignoring wards in his constituency, says he would be forced to complain to Local Govt Minister Sewage accumulated in a street at Guru Arjan Dev Nagar. TRIBUNE PHOTO 109 PROBABLES SELECTED FOR CRICKET CENTRE Dr BL Kapur located near Sabzi Mandi Road has been a landmark for the old city area. Dr Kapur started the hospital in Lahore in 1930 as a nursing home. After partition, Dr Kapur left Lahore and commenced the Ludhiana Maternity Hospital with the help of the government and public donations. As the hospital expanded, it started functioning from Naulakha Garden on evacuee property allotted to the district authorities. Later, when the building was found inadequate for the hospital, the then Chief Minister, Dr Gopi Chand, allotted a land known as Roshini Ground under the Lahore Hospital Society Trust for construction of the charitable hospital. INDERJEET VERMA and we will ensure that they get all their dues. All the legal formalities are being done and closing down of the hospital is just a matter of time now.” However, he does not know the reason behind the closure of the hospital. “We are not concerned about it. We are only taking care of the employees working in the hospital,” said Randhawa. According to sources, the hospital is being closed down as lease of the same has not been extended by the government. Moreover, the hospital was running into loss. The hospital has been facing a loss of Rs 5.16 crore as on March 2018, said sources. Sources further revealed that nearly 241 shops built along the boundary wall of the hospital were rented out c m y b which also has been cited as one of the major violation of the lease. Numerous questions remain unanswered as who would collect rent from the shops and would the government take any action against shopkeepers? Approval for levying fee on food delivery companies A majority of agenda proposals, including imposition of fee on food delivery companies, Tatkal service for TS1, shifting of dairies and others were approved during the MC House meeting today. The tehbazari wing had proposed to charge fee per twowheeler per month from the companies, including Zomato, Dominos and Pizza Hut, as their deliverymen advertise the name of their companies on their T-shirts. Leader of the Opposition Harbhajan Singh Dang demanded no fee be charged from any delivery man. The Assistant Commissioner concerned informed House that the fee would be charged from the company concerned, not the deliveryman. Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu had earlier said they would cancel the proposal to levy fee Proposals for Tatkal service for TS1 certificates and shifting of dairies gets nod LIP OPPOSES PROPOSAL TO WAIVE INTEREST WORTH CRORES Lok Insaaf Party councillor Harvinder Singh opposed a proposal to waive interest standing against a defaulter businessman who had purchased a piece of 9,800 sq yd. He had deposited only 25% of the amount. “Despite the poor financial condition of the MC, Councillor Vaneet Bhatia has made a proposal to waive interest worth crores standing against a defaulter. We will start an agitation if the MC waived the interest,” said Harvinder. on food delivery companies. Besides, House approved the proposal to charge Rs 500 for issuing TS1 certificate for residential and Rs 1,000 for commercial property within two days under Tatkal service. A committee would decide on the proposal to sell MC properties, said the Mayor. House also approved the proposal that dairy complexes should be declared commercial properties on the condition that the owners shift their dairies at least 2 km away from the MC limits on their own. Besides, proposals related to outdoor media tenders and various work orders were also approved by House. Now, the MC has approved the proposal to impose a fine on those people who unload garbage, which is collected from outside the continued on page 2 Choked sewers, contaminated water remain main issues Once again the issues of overflowing sewers and contaminated water supply were raised during the House meeting that had continued for five hours today. Many councillors of the SAD, the BJP the Lok Insaaf Party and , even of the Congress raised questions over the defunct sewer system in their wards. To register her protest against the civic body for ignoring the issues facing the residents of Ward No. 31, its councillor (BJP) Sonia Sharma came her mouth covered with black cloth. She brought a bottle of contaminated water at the House meeting. Akali DAL councillor from Ward No. 2 Gurmail Singh alleged that there were major problems of contaminated water supply and choked sewers in his ward. People are falling ill due to contaminated water supply but their issues are being ignored by Councillor Sonia Sharma shows a bottle of contaminated water at the MC House meeting. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN the MC. He even alleged unnecessary interference by MLA Sanjay Talwar. Akali councillor from Ward No. 30 Jaspal Singh Giaspura raised the issue of poor condition of the main Giaspura Road and overflowing sewage. No patchwork has been carried out to repair potholes as big as 3 foot long on the road for the past one year, he added. Lok Insaaf Party councillor from Ward No. 36 Harvinder Singh Kaler said: “When will we conduct discussions on other issues as the civic body had failed to solve the problems of overflowing sewers and contaminated water supply. The MC must purchase the adequate number of continued on page 2 One held for looting petrol station cash Fog claims ‘tempo’ driver’s life Ludhiana, February 4 The police have arrested a man for allegedly looting Rs 3,000 from a salesman of a petrol station. He accused has been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of the Shimlapuri area here. Tirlochan Singh, who works at an Indian Oil petrol station near Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, said: “On Saturday evening, the suspect arrived at the petrol station and asked for change. When the suspect had left, I kept my cash bag in the cash counter and went to have water. Meanwhile, the suspect returned to the station and fled with the cash bag,” said Tirlochan. Tirlochan had noted down the registration number of the suspect’s motorcycle, which helped the police to trace him. Constable Balwinder Singh said: “The police have recovered Rs 1,500 of the looted money and impounded the bile. TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 4 A day after two persons were killed and three injured in an accident near Machhiwara, a “tempo” driver was killed after his vehicle collided with a stationary truck in dense fog this morning. The accident took place on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur highway near Mullanpur Dakha around 7:30 am. The deceased has been identified as Jaspal Singh (55), a resident of Boparai Kalan village, near Sudhar. He is survived by his wife and four children. Jaspal was going towards his village from Ludhiana. As soon as he reached near Mullanpur Dakha, his “tempo” (PB 07 P 8495) collided with a stationary truck parked on the roadside. According to sources, the accident took place due to dense fog as the victim failed to spot the truck parked on The mangled remains of the tempo which met with an accident near Mullanpur Dakha on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO the roadside. The impact of the collision was so powerful that Jaspal died on the spot. The truck driver sped away after the accident. The investigating officer, ASI Jarnail Singh, said the police had launched inquest proceedings after registering a case under Section 174 of the CrPC and further investigation was under way.