11012021-LT-01.qxd 1/11/2021 12:19 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana TRIBUNE RESIDENTS TAKE OUT RALLY AGAINST CHINESE STRING Action Against Corruption, an NGO, and other social organisations held a rally against banned Chinese string. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SKY PAGE 2 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI SALUTES SOCIAL WARRIORS PAGE 3 HRITHIK AND DEEPIKA TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! KBC raises a toast to efforts of Anoop Khanna and Sylvester Peter for their selfless service in Karamveer episode. MAX 16°C | MIN 6°C | YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 8°C SUNSET MONDAY 5:44 PM PAGE 4 The actors put all rumours to rest as on Sunday they announced their collaboration with the film Fighter. SUNRISE TUESDAY 7:25 AM MONDAY | 11 JANUARY 2021 | LUDHIANA No death; 33 +ve Lohri on the horizon Tribune News Service City residents, including children, in high spirits ahead of Lohri in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTOS: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Five held with ganja, charas Ludhiana, January 10 The city police nabbed five persons for smuggling drugs and recovered huge quantity of drugs from them in separate incidents. In the first incident, the Sadar police nabbed three persons and recovered 8 kg of ganja from them. The arrested accused have been identified as Sheikh Sharif, Mohd Masum Alam and Amrey Alam, all residents of Bihar. ASI Surjit Singh said a tipoff was received that the three accused were notorious smugglers and they were on the way to deliver a huge consignment of drugs to their clients. continued on page 2 POWER SHUTDOWN LUDHIANA 10 am to 4 pm: Manak Enclave, Satjot Nagar Block A, Sai Baba Mandir, SBS Nagar, Verma Colony, Laxmi Colony, Balaji Enclave Dhandra road. GROSS MISMATCH OF ILLEGAL COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, NEW POWER CONNECTIONS Probe poses big challenge to MC staff Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, January 10 The top brass of the Municipal Corporation (MC) has been put in an embarrassing situation by the employees and officials of the building branch as they have clearly expressed their inability to take action against illegal commercial buildings by cross-checking with a number of new commercial electricity connections released by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in different parts of the city. In this regard, the Local Government Department, Punjab, had received a complaint (duly supported by data) that compared to the number of electricity connections released by the PSPCL in the city, an estimated one lakh illegal commercial buildings had been constructed in the city either POLITICAL PRESSURE AT PLAY? When the master town planners were directed to seek the report of illegal constructions from the assistant town planners in their respective zones, the officials put up the plea of political pressure on the ATPs and field staff against any action on such unlawfully constructed buildings. without approved building plans or payment of change of land use (CLU) charges. Sources in the MC claimed that an inquiry into the gross mismatch between electricity connections and building record of the MC (for commercial buildings) was ordered by the Punjab Local Bodies minister Brahm Mohindra and the MC Commissioner Pradeep Sabharwal had marked the probe to Additional Commissioner Rishi Pal Singh. It was further learnt that Joint Commissioner Kulpreet Singh, heading the building branch and the two municipal town planners (MTPs), failed to comply with the orders for conducting cross-check of the illegal buildings with the list of the commercial connections provided by the power utility, citing various reasons. When the MTPs were directed to seek the report of illegal constructions from the assistant town planners (ATPs) in their respective zones, the officials put up the plea of political pressure on the ATPs and field staff against any action on such unlawfully constructed buildings. The exasperated inquiry officer, it was reported, had now sought detailed (areawise) report from the ATPs about the illegal buildings where challans were issued, but were not processed and penalty/composition fee was not recovered from the building owners. However, the ATPs are said to have again scuttled the move, saying the building branch was short of staff and if employees were deployed to cross-check the buildings with the list of connections released by the PSPCL, it would adversely affect the routine work in the building branch. The field staff and supervisory officials of the building branch of the MC, who very much wanted to keep the whole matter under wraps for fear of being exposed, have asked their superiors to hire some private agency to hold cross-checking of the mismatch between illegal buildings and electricity connections, which again seemed a far-fetched idea. Ludhiana, January 10 Thirtythree persons tested positive for Covid, while no death was reported in the district today. Now, the total positive cases in the district are 25,102, while the death toll stands at 972. Those who tested positive today included a cop, an inter-state traveller and others were referred from the OPDs and flu corners, while one was the contact of a positive person. There are 319 active patients in the district at present. A total of 40 patients (33 new patients from Ludhiana district and seven from other states/districts) have tested positive in the past 24 hours. Till date, a total of 5,59,153 samples have been taken, out of which the reports of 5,57,639 samples have been received, of which 5,28,777 samples were found negative, while the reports of 1,514 samples were pending. The total number of patients related to Ludhiana is 25,102, while 3,760 patients belong to other districts/states. Till date, 55,466 persons have been kept under home quarantine in the district and at present, the number of such persons is 940. Today, 86 persons were sent for home quarantine. He said whenever the district administration and STATE OF SHELTERS PART – III Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 10 The night shelter, which is being run from an old Fire Brigade building, near Vishwakarma Chowk, here, is crying for attention due to lack of facilities. The hygiene conditions are required to be improved at the shelter. It was even difficult to stand for a minute inside rooms at the shelter that falls under the MC’s Zone C area, as stink was emanating due to the poor sanitary conditions. It seems the rooms were not cleaned on a timely basis and there is no arrangement for washing dirty blankets and other items. Moreover, there is no proper facility of toilet and bathroom for homeless persons staying at the night shelter. Thus, people are generally being asked to visit the nearby public toilet. There is also a need to instal a water purifier for the provision of safe drinking water for the visitors. Earlier, water purifiers were installed at MC offices. But the People take rest at the night shelter running from an old Fire Brigade building in Ludhiana. OTHER ISSUES Moreover, there is no proper facility of toilet and bathroom for homeless persons staying at the night shelter near Vishwakarma Chowk. Thus, people are generally being asked to visit the nearby public toilet. There is also a need to instal a water purifier for the provision of safe drinking water. Notably, the MC chief had earlier given instructions to officials to contact NGOs and religious shrines to make arrangement of ‘langar’ for people at night shelters. But there is no provision to provide food or tea to any person at the shelter. facility was not given to the night shelters. Amid cold nights of the ongoing winter season, nearly 20 persons are staying in two rooms of the building that was converted into a night shelter years ago. A homeless person said: “I used to come here at night these days. I was spending night on roadsides when the weather conditions were normal. I have food from outside before reaching the shelter.” Notably, the MC chief had earlier given instructions to the officials concerned to contact citybased NGOs and religious shrines to make arrangement of ‘langar’ as per requirement for persons at night shelters. But, there is no provision to provide food or tea to any needy person at the shelter at present. Councillor from Ward No. 50 Swarandeep Singh Chahal said: “There is no provision of toilet and bathroom for these homeless people at c m y b the night shelter. The nearby public toilet facility is paid. The MC must pay attention to ensure all required facilities for them. It must make arrangement of bathrooms at the shelter.” The shelter opens from 7 pm and people start leaving the place around 6 am. A city bus has been deployed to bring homeless persons from various areas to the shelter while some reach the shelter on their own. CCTV cameras are available at the place for security. These were installed after a theft incident took place in the past, as per information. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, some masks and a small bottle of hand sanitiser were available at the shelter but these were not being used. Earlier, it was also announced that a team will be deployed for the medical check-up of the persons visiting the place but to no avail. On the other hand, officials claimed that everything was fine at the night shelter. SDO Kulwinder Singh said all facilities were available at the night shelter. He claimed that blankets and bed covers were washed regularly. Continued on page 2 ■ For Home Isolation: 78147-64759 ■ For Ambulance Problem: COVID-19 FIGURES SAMPLES POSITIVE ACTIVE DEATHS 5,59,153 25,102 319 972 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 ing. Similarly, 2,306 samples of suspected patients were sent for testing today and their results were expected shortly. Teachers sore over online assignments 10 gamblers nabbed in raids ‘Revert to normal teaching now’ Tribune News Service Located near Vishwakarma Chowk, its rooms need improved sanitary conditions COVID-19 CONTROL ROOM Health Department, Ludhiana, find out about any positive or suspected Covid-19 person, his/her samples are immediately sent for test- Shivani Bhakoo This night shelter cries for better facilities A woman gets her Covid test done in Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO Ludhiana, January 10 Sore over regular online meetings by the Education Department, the Government School Teachers Union has said that these meetings should be stopped now. Teachers feel that studies have already suffered due to the global pandemic conditions all over and focus being shifted on everything online is certainly not good for students. A senior teacher at a government school in a rural area said as long as online studies were required, the teachers cooperated with the department, but now everything is coming back to normal. Teachers in government schools should be given more autonomy. Although due to the untiring efforts of school principals and teachers, education has been able to make up with the shortfall, online education cannot replace classroom teaching. The online meetings conducted by the government should now be stopped. We are asked to waste energy on unimportant works, which takes a toll on teachers and students,” rued the teacher. Meanwhile, on this matter, a meeting of government school teachers was also held here. Office-bearers of the union, including state president Surinder Kumar Puari and secretary Balkar Valtoha, Ludhiana district leaders Charan Singh Sarabha, Praveen Kumar, Sudagar Singh Sarabha, Haridev, Tehal Singh Sarabha, gathered here today and demanded from the Education Department to stop asking teachers to work for “un-educa- NO SUBSTITUTE FOR CLASSROOM TEACHING online ❝As long asrequired, the studies were teachers cooperated with the department, but now everything is coming back to normal. Online education cannot replace classroom teaching. The online meetings by government should now be stopped. We are asked to waste our energy on unimportant works, which takes a toll on teachers and students. ❞ A senior teacher tional” activities so that they could devote their full time and energy to the syllabus for March 2021. They feel that the syllabus has still not been fully covered and their efforts are being wasted on other online works. Now that the government has ordered the schools to open for classes V onwards, the teachers are busy coming back on tracks. “See the conditions here. The construction work is going on. It was stopped when the lockdown was imposed. It will take a few months to complete the work. We are trying hard to accommodate students here and there and are ensuring that all their doubts are addressed and syllabus are covered, but these online filling of data is cumbersome and all our energy is exhausted,” said another teacher at a government school in Haibowal Kalan. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 10 The Ludhiana police conducted surprise raids and nabbed 10 gamblers in separate incidents. The police also recovered over Rs 22,000 in cash from them. In the first case, the Salem Tabri police nabbed six persons during a special raid conducted at a park in New Kartar Nagar. They have been identified as Arvinder Singh of Netaji Nagar, Manpreet Singh, Rajwinder Singh, a resident of Netaji Nagar, Amandeep Singh of the Jalandhar bypass area, Darshan Kumar of Salem Tabri and Rajesh Kumar of Aman Nagar. Investigating officer ASI Jagdev Singh said a tip-off was received that accused were gambling in the park. Accordingly, the police conducted a raid and nabbed them red-handed. The police also recovered Rs 18,600 in cash from the spot. The Police Division 5 also nabbed three persons on the charge of gambling. They were identified as Manjit Singh of CRPF Colony, Dugri, Satnam Singh of Mustaq Ganj and Pardeep Kumar of Abdulpur Basti. ASI Sukhjinder Singh said after getting information, a raid was conducted at Yamla Jatt Park from where the accused were caught gambling. The police recovered Rs 1,970 from them. In another incident, the Daresi police nabbed Salinder Kumar of Santokh Nagar who was openly asking people for betting. The police recovered Rs 1,850 cash from him. The police have registered cases under the Gambling Act against the accused in all incidents.