29122020-JTR-01.qxd 12/28/2020 10:57 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar TRIBUNE PAGE 2 GURVINDER’S TERRACE IS NO LESS THAN A FARMER’S FIELD Green fingers: A commerce lecturer, she created an organic veggie rooftop garden amid the Covid lockdown. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY INBRIEF ~50kLOOTED FROM PETROL PUMP Garhshankar: Two armed robbers looted ~ 50,000 from the salesman of a petrol pump on the pretext of filling petrol in the wee hours of Monday. They also took the DVR of CCTV cameras installed at the petrol pump. Sukhdev Singh, alias Sukhpreet, told the police that he worked as a salesman at Dashmesh filling station in Chaura village. He was sleeping, when a young man knocked at the door and asked him to fill petrol. When he opened the door, two youth pushed him and as he fell, they snatched the bag containing ~50,000 from him. The robbers also uprooted the DVR of the CCTV cameras and took it with them while fleeing. Efforts are on to nab the robbers. OC SONAM KAPOOR-STARRER FILM BLIND GOES ON THE FLOOR PAGE 3 SHAHEER, RUCHIKAA SHARE PICS OF THEIR HONEYMOON The action-thriller, directed by Shome Makhija, narrates the story of a blind police officer in search of a serial killer. MAX 15°C | MIN 3°C | YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 2°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5:33 PM The couple had opted for a court marriage because of the pandemic and plan to get married traditionally next year. SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:26 AM TUESDAY | 29 DECEMBER 2020 | JALANDHAR Now, Kapurthala farmers say no to land acquisition Tribune News Service Kapurthala, December 28 Farmers of Kapurthala villages on Monday unanimously decided not to allow their land to be acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the setting up of the Delhi-AmritsarKatra Expressway. Farmers, who had a meeting at Sultanpur Lodhi Grain Market under the banner of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, said the NHAI had plans to acquire their agricultural land falling in Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi and Bholath subdivisions for the proposed passage. Hundreds of farmers who gathered to express their unanimity on the issue raised slogans against the Centre and DELHI-AMRITSAR-KATRA EXPRESSWAY already ❝We haveincludingheld meetings with farmers a recent one Deepti Uppal, DC, KAPURTHALA ❞ the NHAI saying they would not allow their fields to be acquired till the time the Centre took back its new farm laws. State president of the committee Sukhdev S Dhillon said they would not allow any officials of the Revenue FACTFILE ■ A total of 16,000 acre when environment assessment was done. Of course, the tempers of farmers are high at the moment, but we are confident that we will be able to cut a deal with them. We are to acquire land from seven villages of Kapurthala subdivision, 18 from Bholath and 12 from Sultanpur Lodhi. Farmers hold a meeting at Sultanpur Lodhi. TRIBUNE PHOTO Department or any survey teams inside their fields. He alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre was playing at the hands of the corporate and trying to marginalise the Punjab farmers. He said the collector rates had been deliberately brought down recently through the district administrations in the villages, from where the land had to be acquired. Harmanpreet Singh Dikki, chairman of the committee, PAGE 4 land will be acquired in Punjab ■ Farmers of Jalandhar had on Saturday already announced not to allow their land to be acquired ■ Land of 35 villages proposed to be acquired from Jalandhar ■ In Kapurthala, land of 37 villages falls under the expressway plan said 16,000 acres of land owned by the Punjab farmers was being destroyed for the expressway. He said the proposed expressway to be laid by the NHAI would be 15 feet higher than the berms owing to which waterlogging could also be a problem. Kapurthala district president of the committee Prabhdyal Singh Saidpur said the farmers of Kapurthala would stand united against any forcible attempt of the authorities to acquire their land. “We will not let our land go for peanuts,” he said. Kapurthala DC Deepti Uppal said: “We have already held meetings with farmers including a recent one when environment assessment was done. Of course, the tempers of farmers are high at the moment, but we are confident that we will be able to cut a deal with them. We are to acquire land from seven villages of Kapurthala subdivision, 18 from Bholath and 12 from Sultanpur Lodhi.” Ladhewali RoB foundation stone to be laid today Jalandhar, December 28 PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla will lay the foundation stone for the construction of railway overbridge (RoB) at Chuggiti-Ladhewali road railway crossing tomorrow at a cost of ~23.46 crore. MLA Jalandhar Central Rajinder Beri reviewed the arrangements for the event at the site and said it was a long pending demand of people living on both sides of the railway crossing and the construction of this RoB would give a huge reprieve to them. The MLA said the area on both the sides of crossing usually used to be cut off from each other in most of the time. — TNS Come January, fly to Delhi every day 3 succumb to virus in district SpiceJet will operate Adampur-Delhi flight throughout the week from next month Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 28 SpiceJet has reportedly announced to operate the Adampur-Delhi flight throughout the week from the next month. Till now, the flight used to operate for three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in a week. The new development in the flight’s schedule will come as a relief to area residents, who prefer to travel to the national capital by air. While there is only one flight for the route, no changes have been made in the time table of the flight. The 90-seater SpiceJet flight was resumed for regular travel last month after a gap of six months. As per the information, the booking for the Delhi-Adampur-Delhi THINGS TO KNOW ■ Till now, the flight used to operate for three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in a week ■ While there is only one flight for the route, no changes have been made in the time table of the flight ■ The 90-seater SpiceJet flight was resumed for regular travel last month after a gap of 6 months ■ The booking for the DelhiAdampur-Delhi route would be opened shortly route would be opened shortly. Owing to cold weather and fog, the Delhi-bound flight was also cancelled for five days last week and it was arriving late here. As the flight services to Mumbai have also resumed, the Mumbai-bound flight arrived late at Adampur airport by three hours. Usually, the flight leaves Mumbai Air- Changed ways of greeting during the pandemic NEW N RMAL Ajay Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 28 While the coronavirus this year triggered a health alarm worldwide, measures taken to contain the virus also reshaped greetings and the rules of everyday etiquette. From elbow shakes to virtual hugs, people invented outlandish ways to meet and greet friends and family members. As the deadly virus continues to spread across the world, many have abandoned the most common form of greeting: the handshake and adhered to no physical ways of greet. Kunal Singh, a hotelier, says, the pandemic brought about a significant change in living from greetings to handshaking, table and seating arrangements, entertainment culture, artistic activities, sporting activities and most importantly the professional customs. “People restricted themselves to good old ‘namaste’ and fist bumping to say hello. It not only helped in maintaining a distance but also to cutting down the chances of transmitting the infection,” he added. Greeting is considered an DC asks Child welfare NGOs to register by Dec 31 Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 28 Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Monday said as per directions of the Punjab Government, it is mandatory for all non-government organisations (NGOs), which provides free housing, food, education and medical facilities to needy children for their protection and care by December 31. From elbow shakes to virtual hugs, people invented outlandish ways to meet and greet friends and family members. As the deadly virus continues to spread across the world, many have abandoned the most common form of greeting: the handshake and adhered to no physical ways of greet Since the virus transmits through dispersed in ❝air while coughing or sneezing andfluidbeing near to the by people, we might become a medium, therefore the best way of greeting people is by joining our hands and saying a ‘namaste’ instead of hugging or shaking hands. When relaxations were announced, we invented virtual hugs and kisses while meeting our friends and even used to shake our shoes. Nitin Arora, A COLLEGE STUDENT ❞ important way of addressing people whom we meet either for the first time or the daily familiar faces we see on a daily basis. Most of us prefer shaking hands or hugging our acquaintances to greet them but in the health emergency that Covid-19 has caused, it may be considered as an act of ignorance. “Since the virus transmits through fluid dispersed in the air while coughing or sneezing and by being near to people, we might become a medium, therefore the best way of greet- port at 6.40 am and lands at Adampur airport at 10 am, however, on Sunday, the flight took off at 9.32 am from Mumbai and reached Adampur airport around 12.30 pm. ing people is by joining our hands and saying a ‘namaste’ instead of hugging or shaking hands with them,” said, Nitin Arora, a college student. “When the authorities announced relaxations in the lockdown, we invented virtual hugs and kisses while meeting our friends and even used to shake our shoes,” added Arora. “Besides changing social and work ethics, rules of communication and gracing have been reshaped in personal and social life due to Covid-19,” his friend chimed in. If any non-registered organisation is found functioning after the due date, strict action would be taken against that organisation Thori said these organisations are required to register themselves under Section 41 (1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. He said if any NGO is working on care and protection of children and has not been registered yet, it should immediately contact the District Programme Officer or the District Child Development Officer at their office in Kapurthala Chowk with relevant documents before December 31 for registration. He said if any non-registered organisation is found functioning after the due date, strict action would be taken against that organisation under Section 42 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. c m y b Jalandhar, December 28 With 47 new cases of Covid reported in Jalandhar district on Monday, the total number of positive cases reached 19,802. The health authorities reported three deaths. With this, the toll increased to 639. A total of 18,768 patients had been discharged while 228 people were under home isolation in the district. At present, there are 395 active cases in the district. Meanwhile in Kapurthala, 18 people tested Covid-19 positive on Monday. Two fall prey to Covid-19 in Hoshiarpur, 24 test +ve The health authorities reported 24 new Covid-19 cases in the district on Monday. With this, JALANDHAR ROUND UP Samples collected 4,65,211 Negative 4,26,666 Positive 19,802 Deceased 639 Active 395 Discharged 18,768 Sample inappropriate 3,836 Results awaited 447 Home isolated 228 the positive cases increased to 7,696 in the district. The authorities reported two more deaths in the district today. As a result, the toll reached 308. The deceased include a 65-year-old woman of Mount Avenue, Phagwara road, who died at PGIMER, Chandigarh, and a 69-year-old woman of Shergarh village. Civil Surgeon Dr Jasvir Singh informed that with 1,255 new samples of people with suspected flu-like symptoms, the total number of samples taken in the district reached 2,30,700. Deceased’s family likely to record statement tomorrow ‘FAKE’ ENCOUNTER PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 28 Family members of Inderjit Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpur, who was gunned down by the police under mysterious circumstances is likely to record their statements on December 30. A magisterial probe was ordered in the incident in which Inderjit was shot dead in an encounter near Jandiala Guru toll plaza on December 8. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Heera had been entrusted with the investigations. Maninderpal Singh, brother of the deceased said the SDM has given them time for recording statement on December 30. However, we asked them to provide us with evidence, which the police had collected to date. We also asked for the autopsy report of Inderjit, he said. “Though the police have shown CCTV footage of the encounter, but we are unsatisfied as the video is blur. We have asked for some more angles of the incident,” said Maninderpal while adding that the family would also consult its lawyer before recording the statement. On December 8, the CIA staff was holding a naka at Jandiala Guru toll plaza following snatching of a car from a DSP rank officer in the Putlighar area when they received the information from the Ambala police that a person had snatched an SUV from there and was heading towards Amritsar via Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Fingers were raised over the police theory. At present, there are 134 active cases and 7,254 recovered in the district. Out of today’s 24 new positive cases in the district, 5 cases are from Hoshiarpur city while remaining 19 are from various other health blocks of the district. Thieves break into bank Our Correspondent Dasuya, December 28 Thieves broke into the Punjab and Sindh Bank in Ghogra village on Sunday. Bank Manager Vajinder Singh said they came to know about the incident on Monday morning, when the bank was opened around 8.30 am. He said that the thieves entered through the back wall and could only reach the record room, while the locker room remained safe. Dasuya Station House Officer (SHO) Malkit Singh reached the spot and marked the probe. Power supply to 3 more Jio towers snapped Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 28 A month into the farmers’ protests, the angst continues to scald the corporate sector with the campaign to snap power from Jio towers in the district continuing briskly on Monday as well. With electricity supply of three new Jio towers being snapped in the district on Monday, the count has reached 13. While earlier in the month several members of the Sikh Talmel Committee also got several Reliance stores closed. A Reliance godown was also shut by farmers on Sunday. On Monday, groups of protesting farmers “amid heavy police presence” snapped power of at least three Jio towers in the Lamma Pind Chowk area. So far, power has been snapped of towers in Jandiala (three towers), Jamsher, Kangniwal, Samrai, Bajuha Kalan, Chakki, Qadianwal, Sansarpur apart from Monday’s closure at the Lamma Pind Chowk. Following this, members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Rajewal (BKU Rajewal) met the Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, SSP and ADC in Jalandhar submitting memoradums to them regarding their demands. Unions have sought the withdrawal of FIRs against farm leaders amid the stir and have also declared that they will continue to boycott corporate networks and products in the coming days. Amarjot Singh, youth leader, BKU Rajewal, who had been staying on in Jalandhar to conduct a series of activities as per the calls given by farmers before heading back to Delhi, said, “We shall be identifying the remaining towers and get the power snapped from these. All farmer unions are snapping power supply of towers in their respective areas. The boycott of the products, as declared, shall continue until the government does not meet our demands. All activities conducted by us have been done openly and peacefully with due intimation to the administration.” Notably, while an FIR was also lodged in the district yesterday against the burning of 15 bundles of Jio’s fibre optic cables, the police have maintained that none of the farmer organisations were associated with it.