21102020-LT-01.qxd 21-10-2020 00:33 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana TRIBUNE FARMERS’ STIR KEEPS TRAINS OFF TRACK TILL TOMORROW PAGE 2 HAS BEEN A MAGICAL JOURNEY: ACTOR AVINASH MUKHERJEE Trains bound for Katra or Jammu Tawi/Udhampur are not running due to the agitation by farmers. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY Avinash Mukherjee, popular for his show Balika Vadhu, talks about how being a child actor affected his future. MAX 34°C | MIN 15°C | YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 14°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 5:48 PM 50-year-old migrant found murdered 1 Covid death; 46 positive Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 20 Fortysix persons tested positive for Covid, while one lost her life here today. The total confirmed cases in Ludhiana district reached 19,747, while the death toll mounted to 821. Today, 17 persons were on ventilator support. The person who lost her life was a 60-year-old woman from Kulewal Samrala village and had been admitted to the RHP Hospital. She did not have any co-morbidity. Those who tested positive included 22 persons referred from flu corners and six contacts of positive people. Seven people were still being traced. Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga said there were 269 active patients in the district at present. He said 46 patients had tested positive in the past 24 hours. He added that till date, a total of 3,58,658 samples had been taken, out of which reports of 3,56,293 samples had been received. Of these, 3,31,816 samples were found negative, while reports of 2,365 samples were pending. He said now, the total number of patients related to Ludhiana was 19,747, while 18,654 patients had recovered. Ludhiana, October 20 A 50-year-old migrant was found murdered and his body was recovered from an empty plot near the Jalandhar bypass on the highway here on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Udaybhan Rao, a resident of Gurnam and a native of UP . Station House Officer, Salem Tabri police station, Gopal Krishan, said the deceased was missing since Monday and his kin were searching for him. On Tuesday morning, a passer-by noticed a man lying in a pool of blood. He informed the police control room. Later, the Salem Tabri police reached the spot and found the man dead. The SHO said the deceased was working with Bedi Woolens in Bhattian village and had left the job two days ago as he had to return to his native place in UP He was . staying alone in the city on a rented accommodation while his wife was living in UP . “He seemed to have been murdered with some sharp weapon as his head and other body parts had serious injury marks. Instead of loot, old enmity seemed to be the cause of murder as killers had not took cash or valuables of the deceased. Probe is on to trace the miscreants,” the SHO said, adding that he CCTV footage of the area was also being checked to get any clue about the suspects. A murder case has been registered against unknown persons. PAGE 3 Tribune News Service URVASHI TO BE SHOWSTOPPER AT THE ARAB FASHION WEEK PAGE 4 The actress will be showstopper for Filipino designer Furne One at the upcoming Arab Fashion Week. SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:34 AM WEDNESDAY | 21 OCTOBER 2020 | LUDHIANA 3 held in ~3.42L loot case Tribune News Service FIGURES OF LUDHIANA DISTRICT SAMPLES POSITIVE 3,58,658 19,747 ACTIVE CASES DEATHS 269 821 CONTROL ROOM For home isolation 78147-64759 Ambulance problem 78143-63850 Hospital problem 62849-12553 General problem 62845-31852 Weblink where residents can check real time status of vacant and occupied beds in all hospitals: https://ludhiana.nic.in/notice/covid19-bed-status-in-ludhiana-district/ PRECAUTIONS NECCESSARY: EXPERTS Festival season has begun and people are gearing up for the festivities amid the pandemic. However, it’s time to remain extra careful as experts have warned of the second wave of the disease. People have started coming out of their houses for shopping, which has become a cause of concern. SEE PAGE 2 Ludhiana, October 20 The Police Division No. 6 arrested three accused in the Rs 3.42-lakh loot case reported outside the ATI on the Gill road on October 9. The accused were identified as Gurpreet Singh Gopi of Bawa Colony, Kakowal Road, Sanjiv Kumar Sanju of Anandpuri and Mohit Sharma of Tajpur Road. The police recovered Rs 1.40 lakh, a Verna car and a scooter from the accused. Two accused, Toti of Samrala Chowk, and Shubham, alias Gopi, of the Kakowal road are yet to be arrested in the case. Joint CP (Rural) Kanwardeep Kaur ADCP 2 Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, ACP Sandeep Vadhera, SHO Amandeep Singh Brar addressed a press conference in this regard here today. Kanwardeep Kaur said on October 9, the robbers in the Verna car had rammed the vehicle into the scooter of Sandeep Jain and when he fell, the robbers snatched the cash from him along with the scooter. During interrogation, the key accused Gurpreet said he was working in Jindal Textile, near Grain Market, where he used to manage cash. The accused had hatched a conspiracy and told his friends that his factory made daily payment in lakhs to its clients/workers and he was supervising the cash flow of the factory. “I then told my Police officials address a press conference regarding the arrest of robbers in Ludhiana on Tuesday. KEY ACCUSED WORKED IN FACTORY Key accused Gurpreet said he was working in Jindal Textile, near Grain Market, where he used to manage cash. “I told my friends to commit robbery whenever the factory made payment to someone. On October 9, when Sandeep Jain, a manager in Rattan Fabrics, received payment from the factory and left the place carrying cash, I told my aides to corner him and snatch the cash friends to commit robbery whenever the factory made payment to someone. On October 9, when Sandeep Jain, a manager in Rattan Fabrics, received payment from the factory and left the factory carrying cash, I informed my friends to corner him and snatch the cash. I also asked my aides to injure him while committing the loot,” Gurpreet revealed during questioning by the police. The accused had also taken away the scooter from the victim then. Accused Sanjiv has notori- ous past, as he is facing four crime cases. Man concocted fake carjacking story, arrested In a Breeza car “loot” case, the complainant has been arrested by the Salem Tabri police as he concocted a fake story. Salem Tabri SHO Gopal Krishan, who solved the case, said the complainant Aman Aggarwal of Mahavir Colony, Bhamian Kalan, enacted a drama of loot and during probe, his lie was caught. The SHO said the accused, who was in hosiery machine trading business, was in debt and was unable to pay the loan instalments of his car. To overcome the problems of the loan instalment and his debts, he concocted a drama. He planned a conspiracy and sent his car to Uttar Pradesh on rent. On October 16, he called the police control room and told the cops that two armed men had thrashed him and snatched his car. The police accordingly registered a carjacking case. SHO Gopal said during the probe, the claims of the complainant could not be substantiated and when he was questioned, he confessed to having concocted a fake story of loot. The SHO said now legal action would also be initiated against him for misguiding the police. Trade forum writes to CM Bad roads constant pain for Rajguru Nagar residents on ‘illegal assessment notices’ ❝ ‘WORK SOON’ Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 20 The All India Trade Forum (AITF) president Badish Jindal has written a letter to the Chief Minister, Punjab, regarding “illegal assessment notices” sent by the department. In his letter, Jindal said recently the department of the SGST issued notices to 54,769 entrepreneurs for the assessment of their VAT cases for the year 2013-14. In these cases, 23,277 notices issued by the Ludhiana office of the SGST (11309 District I, 5967 District II & 6001 District III), 14,208 notices issued in Jalandhar and 6,249 notices for assessment are issued by the Amritsar SGST office. Besides, two notices of 14,383 and 14,333 cases are separately issued by the department for the assessment of VAT cases. It is almost more than three years when VAT was abolished in the state and these notices are of 2013-14, which are about seven years old. It is indeed shocking to see the quantum of notices issued by the department issued without any logic. The total number of VAT assesses in the state was around 1,30,000, so the department issued assessment notices to more than 60% of the total assesses of the state. There is no criteria fixed for the selection of cases and it seems that the only purpose behind the assessment is the vested interest of the department. “The department has fully failed to prevent the state from bogus transactions even with the online return filing systems under VAT and at that time the invoices were also online, which were called E-Trips. Now it is feared that after seven years, the department may harass the innocent assesses on the name of assessments,” alleged Jindal. On January 31, 2015, the then Excise and Taxation Minister had issued the orders for the exemption of the assessment of the companies having turnover of less than Rs 1 crore. The purpose was to catch the big fish and to save the industry from the harassment and corruption of the VAT department. It is continued on page 2 Tenders for the recarpeting of roads in two blocks had been finalised and work orders had also been issued to the successful bidders. The work on these roads is expected to commence very soon ROAD ROT Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, October 20 Residents of Rajguru Nagar, a posh colony developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), continue to suffer from bad and broken roads. While the main road leading to all four blocks was recarpeted a couple of months ago, the feeder roads in the A and B blocks are yet to be repaired/relaid. In some stretches of these roads, the upper coat has completely given way, with loose gravel and pot holes making it difficult for even two-wheelers and cyclists to cmmute, what to talk of the pedestrians. ❞ Seema Kapoor, AREA COUNCILLOR A badly broken road at Rajguru Nagar Colony in Ludhiana. Aggrieved residents say senior citizens and kids remain more vulnerable while taking a walk or playing on the bad portions of roads. “The situation takes a turn for the worse during the rainy season or in cases of sewer lines getting clogged when the depressions and pot holes in the roads are filled with stagnant or dirty water and the entire stretch of broken roads becomes prone to road accidents,” says Col Harbaksh Singh (retd), president of the Rajguru Nagar Senior Citizens Welfare Association. Several residents of the A and B blocks of the colony spoke in critical terms about officials of LIT, charging them with apathy and indif- (WARD NO. 73) ference towards their day-today problems as also regarding the maintenance of the colony in a desirable manner. “Complaints lodged by the residents are ignored in normal course and civic issues raised by the suffering residents are seldom, if at all, addressed,” said a resident of the A block of the colony. The president of the Rajgu- A progressive farmer who gave up stubble burning eight years ago Lovleen Bains Sukhjit Singh, an environment conservator, who spreads the message of clean and green environment. TRIBUNE PHOTOS Doraha, October 19 Sukhjit Singh of Diwala village, who gave up stubble burning for good eight year ago, has advised the farmers of his region to stop this practice as there is no space for repentance and reform thereafter. “To rise to the occasion and save the earth from further degradation” seems to be the motto of his life. Sukhjit Singh who gave up straw burning has not only improved his crop quality but also doubled his income. He owes his success to Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Samrala ‘A ROLE MODEL’ Sukhjit has become a role model and source of inspiration for farmers of nearby villages. He is contributing to preserve the environment and soil health by not burning the crop residue. ❝ ❞ Dr Devinder Tiwari, KVK, SAMRALA which not only convinced him but made him practise the latest technology in his field to observe for himself the difference it makes in his living and livelihood. c m y b Sukhjit Singh always wanted to do farming in a scientific way and was keen to learn and update himself with new techniques and technologies. Due to his learning zeal, he attend- ed kisan melas and agricultural camps organised by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. He got associated with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Samrala, when a team conducted an agricultural camp in his village. He took keen interest in farming practices and tried to keep himself abreast of the changes in the latest technology. “One has to just keep in touch with Punjab Agricultural University, KVK Samrala and the Agriculture Department and worry about nothing. They are a ready support always and enable the farmer to cross every hur- dle with ease. I always try to build up the faith of the farmers in the government schemes and different mechanical modes adopted from time to time. It is just that they have to do it practically once and get convinced. The Agriculture department and the administration have succeeded in bringing about positivity for farm machinery in the minds of the farmers to a great extent. Times are definitely changing for good,” Sukhjit believes. Sukhjit started following crop residue management practices and adopted in-situ residue continued on page 2 ru Nagar Residents Welfare Association (Block A and B), Charanjit Singh Gill, said the residents were indeed facing inconvenience due to the recarpeting/repair of feeders roads for the last several years and the LIT authorities would do well to take up the work in hand as soon as possible. According to area councillor (ward No. 73) Seema Kapoor, tenders for the recarpeting of roads in two blocks had been finalised and work orders had also been issued to the successful bidders. “The work on these roads is expected to commence very soon,” she added. LIT engineer Jagdev Singh confirmed that tendering process for relaying the remaining roads in the A and B blocks had been completed and the contractors/construction agencies had been directed to take on the work immediately. PAU alumnus awarded in Australia Tribune News Service Ludhiana, October 20 Prof Zora Singh, an alumnus of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has been named “2017 Innovator of the Year” in Western Australia for his commendable research work. At present, Prof Zora Singh is the Foundation Professor Post-harvest Horticulture, Department of Agriculture and Environment, Curtin University, Perth. The joint research work by Prof Singh and Dr Alan Payne continued on page 2