31122020-LT-01.qxd 12/31/2020 12:32 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana TRIBUNE NO END TO OVERFLOWING SEWERS, ENCROACHMENTS PAGE 2 Authorities concerned have failed to solve problems related to solid waste management in Mandi Ahmedgarh. FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY Six loot ~5 lakh from factory worker in city Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 30 Six armed robbers looted ~5 lakh and an Activa scooter from a factory worker in the Focal Point today. After getting information, ADCP Rupinder Kaur Sra reached the spot. The victim, Rajnish, said he was working in Hindustan Hammers factory. Today, the factory owner sent Rajnish to bring money from his home as he had to distribute salary among workers. “I brought ~5 lakh from the factory owner’s house in Sarabha Nagar. When I reached Phase 7, Focal Point, six robbers on two bikes cornered me. They hit their bike into my scooter and I fell down. The robbers then thrashed me and snatched scooter and fled. Money was lying in the scooter dickey,” said Rajnish The police is checking footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the area to get clue about the robbers. POWER SHUTDOWN LUDHIANA 10 am to 12 pm: Singpura, Ashok Nagar, Sita Nagar, some part of Sham Nagar & Railway Complex. PAGE 3 WHEN MALVI MALHOTRA MET URMILA MATONDKAR Malvi Malhotra was hospitalised after being allegedly stabbed with a knife multiple times by Yogesh Mahipal Singh. MAX 17°C | MIN 4°C | YESTERDAY MAX 16°C | MIN 2°C SUNSET THURSDAY 5:35 PM Clear outstanding dues today or pay 10% penalty from January 1 Tribune News Service Owners deposit their property tax at a Suwidha Centre in Ludhiana on Wednesday. INDERJEET VERMA ❝ The MC has issued notices to owners of various properties given on rent to banks in the city. These people have been asked to show their rent deeds as it is suspected that they might have given wrong assessment of their property tax. ❞ Vivek Verma, SUPERINTENDENT, MUNICIPAL CORPORATION their rent deeds as it was suspected that they might have given wrong assessment of their property tax, he added. “We have also imposed heavy penalty on the owners of two properties that have been rented out to different banks for showing wrong tax assessment,” he said. The civic body authorities have appealed to residents to pay their property tax on time. The property tax can be deposited at MC’s Suwidha Centres and on its official website. It is learnt that due to Covid19 pandemic, less number of people have come forward to their pay property tax. PAGE 4 With celebrations being low key this year, many celebs are holidaying with loved ones to ring in the New Year. SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:24 AM Over 1 lakh residents yet to deposit property tax Ludhiana, December 30 As last date to deposit property tax without any penalty for year 2020-21 is tomorrow, a number of people visited MC’s Suwidha Centres to clear their dues today. However, over one lakh people have yet to deposit their property tax for the current fiscal as per the information. The Municipal Corporation (MC) superintendent, Vivek Verma, said, “From January 1 onwards, 10 per cent penalty will be charged. After March 31, a penalty at the rate of 20 per cent on the amount due along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent will be levied.” “Over one lakh residents have not paid their property tax till date. We are also making appeal to the people to clear their tax dues at the earliest,” he added. The MC had also issued notices to owners of various properties given on rent to banks in the city, he said. These people had been asked to show TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO 2020: B-TOWN IN VACATION MODE THURSDAY | 31 DECEMBER 2020 | LUDHIANA Virus claims 2 more lives; 26 fresh cases reported from dist Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 30 The Covid-19 has claimed life of two more persons in Ludhiana district during the past 24 hours. Besides, 26 fresh cases of virus have been reported from Ludhiana district. The Health Department confirmed that 37 patients, including 26 from Ludhiana and 11 from other districts or states, had tested positive for the virus. In Ludhiana district, 19 persons with influenza like illness, two healthcare workers and two others, who had come in contact of positive patients, tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, the process was underway to collect information about three other persons. The Ludhiana Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajesh Bagga, confirmed that three patients, including two from Ludhiana and one from Nawanshahr districts, lost their lives to the virus today. A 55-year-old woman from Tajpur Road and another 55year-old woman from the city succumbed to the virus today. As per the information, a total of 5,35,680 samples had been collected out of which report of 5,33,824 samples was received. As many as 5,05,400 samples were found negative while COVID-19 CONTROL ROOM ■ For Home Isolation: 78147-64759 COVID-19 FIGURES SAMPLES POSITIVE ACTIVE DEATHS 5,35,680 24,737 340 962 ■ For Ambulance Problem: 78143-63850 ■ For Hospital Problem: 62849-12553 ■ For General Problem: 62845-31852 WEBLINK WHERE RESIDENTS CAN CHECK REAL TIME STATUS OF VACANT AND FILLED BEDS IN ALL HOSPITALS: https://ludhiana.nic.in/notice/covid-19-bed-status-in-ludhiana-district report of 1,856 samples was awaited. Now, the total number of Covid patients related to Ludhiana district is 24,737 while 3,687 patients are from other districts/states. According to the Health Department, as many as 23432 (94.72%) patients have recov- ered from the virus till date. Besides, 962 people from Ludhiana and 446 from other districts have lost their lives due to the virus. As many as 2,249 samples of suspected patients were sent for testing today and their results were expected shortly. Three smugglers Roadways staff protest against charging of Rlys extends run held with 24 cases fee from buses parked outside bus stand of festival special trains, cancels one of illegal liquor Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 30 The anti-smuggling cell of the city police has nabbed three smugglers in separate cases and recovered 24 cases of illegal liquor from them. The cell in-charge, Yashpal Sharma, said the police arrested Akash, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, after conducting raid at his house and recovered five cases of illegal liquor from his possession. In another case, the police arrested Bhupinder Singh Palli, a resident of Harbans Pura, and recovered 18 cases of liquor from his car. Bhupinder was nabbed while he was heading to deliver consignment of liquor to his clients. The team laid a naka and after intercepting his Swift car, he was signalled to stop for checking, which led to the recovery of liquor. The anti-smuggling cell also arrested Amandeep Singh Deepu, a resident of Manjit Nagar, and recovered one case of illegal liquor from him. The police said in all the cases, a case under the Excise Act was registered against the suspects and further probe was on to bust the entire supply line. Ludhiana, December 30 The staff members of Punjab Roadways and PUNBUS along with AITUC members today staged a protest against a contractor, who looks after operations and maintenance (O&M ) works at Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Interstate Bus Terminal. They alleged that the authorities concerned were not taking action against the contractor despite repeated complaints. The Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS Contract Workers Union president, Shamsher Singh Dhillon, and the AITUC leader, Kirandeep Singh Dhillon, accused the contractor of violating the terms and conditions of the agreement regarding O&M works. They alleged that there was no proper arrangement for water supply and cleanliness was being ignored at the bus stand. “The contractor is charging fee from drivers of buses halt- Punjab Roadways and PUNBUS employees protest at the bus stand in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN ing outside bus stand in an unauthorised manner. A lift at bus stand has been lying defunct for a long time, but nothing has been done by the contractor to make it functional. We demand from the higher authorities to take action against the contractor for irregularities at the bus stand,” alleged Dhillon. The protesting members also submitted a complaint to the General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Ludhiana bus stand, against the contractor. GLADA asks powercom not to give electricity connections to illegal colonies Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, December 30 Even as illegal colonies continue to come up across the city and especially on the periphery of the industrial hub, the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has made yet another desperate bid to rein in unscrupulous developers by asking Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) not to give any new electricity connections to such colonies. While confirming development GLADA Estate Officer Sonam Chaudhry said she did agree that the issue was more complex to deal with because there were quite a few colonies that were not regularised under the (now lapsed) government policy. Many owners in such colonies had got their plots and properties compounded on payment of stipulate composition fee, she added. “A property or plot owner, who holds the NOC issued by the competent authority is indeed entitled to apply and get a new electricity connection. But the objective of taking up this matter with the PSPCL was to make sure that power connections are not given to colonies that had not applied for regularisation,” she said. The PSPCL Chief Engineer (Central Zone), Bhupinder Khosla, told The Tribune that the matter of refusing power connection to illegal colonies had been referred back to GLADA for providing details of licenced colonies so that the power utility could distinguish between eligible and ineligible applicants. Pointing towards practical constraints in denial of new electricity connections, he said where installation of internal distribution system like transformers, electricity poles and cables in an entire colony was concerned the developer could be asked to provide NOC or any other documentary proof of the competent authority. New power connections could not be refused to individual property owners – both domestic and commercial – especially when such applicant possesses NOC or proof of having paid composition fee under the government policy for regularisation of colonies as well as plots and properties in unlicensed colonies, he added. Earlier, another bid by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, for non-registration of sale deeds in illegal colonies was scuttled by the Revenue Department, which had taken the stand that since the registration of sale deeds was governed by a Central Act no state legislation could have an overriding effect on the working of the department. c m y b Ludhiana, December 30 Even as the pair of 04609/10 Rishikesh-Shri Mata Vaishno Dvi Katra-Rishikesh Hemkunt Special Express train was to be restored as per the schedule from January 1, 2021, Railways have announced cancellation of the train till January 5, 2021. The cancellation of the train was necessitated due to traffic block to undertake non-interlocking work for doubling at HaridwarLaksar section of the Moradabad division. Meanwhile, the Northern Railway authorities have announced extension of limited period festival special trains keeping in view the passenger volume. It was officially stated that most of these trains, which were to run till December end, would now continue to operate till January 2021 end. The festival trains with extended periodicity include 08237/38 Korba-Amritsar-Korba Chhattisgarh Special Express; 08215/16 DurgUdhampur-Durg Special Express; 05251/52 DarbhangaJanlandhar City-Darbhanga Estial Special Express; 05531/32 Saharsa-AmritsarSaharsa Festival Special Express; 02355/56 Patna-Jammu Tawi-Patna Festival Special Express; 03255/56 PatliputraChandigarh Festival Special Express; 05211/12 DarbhangaAmritsar-Darbhanga Festival Special Express; 02237/38 Varanasi-Jammu TawiVaranasi Special Express; 02231/32 Lucknow-Chandigarh-Lucknow Special Express; and 02421/22 AjmerJammu Tawi-Ajmer Superfast Special Express. — TNS The staff members have been given assurance that the matter would be discussed with the Director, State Transport, Chandigarh, soon. The General Manager (GM), Roadways, Inderjeet Singh, said, “The operations and maintenance works of the bus stand have been awarded to a contractor for five years. The contractor pays ~1.5 crore as quarterly fee to the department.” “I have received a complaint from union members today. The matter will be tak- en up with the higher authorities at an upcoming meeting on January 6,” the GM added. Earlier, some mini bus operators had also complained against the contractor for allegedly charging unauthorised fee from drivers of buses halting outside the bus stand premises. A notice was served to the contractor after receiving complaint, the GM said. The contractor was also directed not to charge any fee from buses halting outside the bus stand, the GM added. — TNS PSPCL terminates services of three employees Eatery owner booked for serving liquor to youth below 25 years Ludhiana, December 30 Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has terminated the services of Satbir Singh, Rakesh Kumar and Ram Ditta, who were recruited on contract basis, but their services were regularised later. According to the PSPCL superintending engineer (Technical), City West Circle, who conducted an enquiry against four employees of the Estate Division, an upper division clerk Kuljit Singh was let off with a warning. The enquiry officer stated that the said employees failed to perform their duty and allegations of connivance in power theft were proved on the basis of their statements, oral and documentary evidence. — TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, December 30 The PAU police station conducted a raid at Urban Vibes, a restaurant in South City, where youngsters below 25 years, were drinking liquor against the legal norms. The restaurant owner also did not follow Covid-19 guidelines as visitors were not wearing face masks and social distancing was also not being maintained by them. After getting information about violations Additional DCP Sameer Verma conducted a raid at the restaurant. Verma said information was received that youngsters below the age of 25 years had gathered in large numbers at Youngsters were found consuming alcohol at the Urban Vibes restaurant against the norms in Ludhiana on Wednesday. Urban Vibes where they were being served liquor by the restaurant. “As per the norms, restaurants and bars cannot serve liquor to boys or girls below the age of 25 years, which is not permitted under the law,” Verma added. An FIR has been registered against restaurant owner Manjit Singh and manager under the Excise Act, Disaster Management Act and under Section 188, IPC, said Verma.