11072022-JTR-01.qxd 7/11/2022 12:08 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar TRIBUNE FIND ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES TO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS PAGE 2 Residents say hold awareness campaigns before imposing the ban, give incentives to those who follow it. FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SKY INBRIEF TWO SNATCHERS HELD IN NAKODAR Nakodar: The city police have arrested two persons on the charge of snatching smart phone. Investigating officer (IO) Kulwindar Singh said the accused were identified as Rajesh Kumar, alias Manidar, and Jaskaran Singh, alias Jassa, of Sohal Khurd village. Mandip Singh of Malarri village had complained to the police that the accused snatched his smart phone. The IO said that a case under Sections 379-B (Snatching) and 34 (Committing crime with common intention), IPC, was registered against both the accused. TNS TEENAGER ENDS LIFE BY SUICIDE Nakodar: A 17-old-youth ended life by suicide here on Saturday. Investigating officer (IO) Balwindar Singh said the deceased was identified as Jagdish Singh of Dharme Dian Chhana village. Father of deceased Tarsem Singh told the police that his son consumed some poisonous substance and ended his life. The cause of suicide could not be ascertained yet. The IO said the police acting under Section 174, CrPC, handed over body to kin after postmortem examination at the Civil Hospital. OC TWO HELD WITH INTOXICANTS Hoshiarpur: The district police on Saturday evening arrested two smugglers and recovered a large quantity of narcotics from them from different places. The city police arrested a peddler at a naka in the area and recovered 110 gm of intoxicating powder from him. The accused has been identified as Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Rishi Nagar. The Model Town police arrested Sunil Kumar, a resident of Bhagat Nagar and recovered 52 gm of intoxicating powder from him. Separate cases under NDPS act have been registered against the accused. OC ONE ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL MINING Hoshiarpur: The Hariana police impounded a tractortrailer loaded with sand and arrested its driver on the charge of illegal mining. Mining Officer Naresh Kumar said the tractor-trailer was stopped at Adda Bhikhowal and the driver was asked to show the permit to carry sand. However, he could not produce any document in this regard. He was arrested and a case was registered against the accused, Kamalpreet Singh, a resident of Satour, on charge of illegal mining. OC 2 OF ROBBERS’ GANG NABBED Lohian Khas: The police have arrested two more members of a robbers gang that was busted on Monday with the arrest of the five accused. Station House Officer (SHO) Sukhdev Singh said the accused were identified as Harpreet Singh, alias Kaka, of Chohla Sahib village in Taran Taran and Akash Dep Singh of Hansa village in Tarn Taran. The SHO said a case under Sections 399 (Making preparation to commit dacoity) and 402 (Assembling for the purpose of committing dacoity), IPC, and the Arms Act, was registered against the accused, who fled the spot. OC PAGE 3 PAYAL ROHATGI AND SANGRAM SINGH TIE THE KNOT IN AGRA HINA KHAN VISITS THE SETS OF SWAYAMVAR — MIKA DI VOTI Payal Rohatgi and Sangram Singh tied the knot on July 9. The pictures were shared by Payal’s Instagram account. MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C | YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET MONDAY 7:34 PM Many big celebrities have come on Swayamvar — Mika Di Voti to help Mika Singh choose the right girl. SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:31 AM MONDAY | 11 JULY 2022 | JALANDHAR Cops didn’t inform us before filing cancellation report:Complainant BLOOD BANK CASE Post HC observations, NGO raises question about probe Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 10 On August 4, 2018, teams of the Drug Department found some grave irregularities in blood units stored and issued from the blood bank at the local Gulab Devi Hospital. Eight persons were booked and the Zonal Licensing Authority (ZLA), Jalandhar, suspended all operations of the blood bank. Four years down the line, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 7 expressed its displeasure at the way the police had handled the case, pointing out “the police authorities are persisting in filing a cancellation report to give a clean chit to the accused”. Activists, members of the civil society and the complainant non-government organisation (NGO) in the case have expressed dis- WILL ACT AS PER COURT ORDER: COPS NEGLIGENCE TO THE FORE ■ Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, Gursharan Singh ■ On August 4, 2018, inspecting teams found Sandhu said: “We will act as per the directions of the High Court. While I am not aware of the case details, due legal process will be followed.” ■ Meanwhile, Division No. 2 SHO Gurpreet Singh said: “The NGO will be consulted during the course of the investigation. We will also carry out a diligent probe as per the directions of the High Court.” blood numbered under one unit being issued to two or more persons and that too without vital details at the blood bank in Gulab Devi Hospital ■ An FIR was lodged and five persons were arrested. Presently, they are all out on bail. Blood bank proprietor IG Aggarwal was also later named in the FIR. He too is out on bail HOW WAS THE REPORT MADE? In January, a reinvestigation was ordered by the court. But we — the complainant NGO — were never involved by the police during the course of the investigation. Can the police prepare a cancellation report without consulting the complainant? ❝ Vitin Puri, GENERAL SECRETARY, NGO pleasure at the investigation. The court, in its ruling, had observed that, following registration of an FIR, a cancellation report was filed by the police in the same case on July 4, 2020, in the court of Judicial Magis- Differently abled want better hospital services Hoshiarpur, July 10 President of the Disabled Persons Welfare Society (Registered) Sandeep Sharma and general secretary Jaswinder Singh Sahota today handed over a memorandum to Dr Pawan Kumar, acting Civil Surgeon, to solve problems of physically challenged persons in Civil Hospitals. On this occasion, Sahota said differently-abled faced a lot of difficulties in getting the slip made as they had to stand in long queues at Civil Hospitals. It was not possible for them to wait in queues due to their physical limitations, he added. He demanded that separate counters/windows should be opened for making slips for differently-abled persons at Civil Hospitals across the district and parking charges should be waived off for them at cycle stands. Meanwhile, acting Civil Surgeon Dr Pawan Kumar assured to solve problems of differentlyabled immediately. — OC ❞ trate, 1st Class, Jalandhar, who refused to accept the same and returned the cancellation report to the Station House Officer of Division Numer 2, (via orders on September 7, 2021). The court further noted, even Agent held for duping man of ~8.8 lakh Phagwara, July 10 The Lohian Khas police have arrested a travel agent for duping a man of Rs 8.80 lakh on the pretext of sending his son abroad. Investigating officer (IO) Sawindar Singh said Manga Singh of Nasir Pur village had complained to the police that he had paid Rs 8.80 lakh to the accused, Harjit Kumar, for sending his son abroad. But the accused neither sent Manga’s son abroad nor return his money. — OC PAGE 4 ISTOCK after this, the police authorities again proposed to send a cancellation report affirming their previous stance. While the court has ordered the Joint Commissioner, Department of Food and Drugs Adminis- tration, Punjab, and the Director General of Police to submit their reports on the issue in the next hearing; the case has become a matter of study on repeated inaction even in cases of grave medical negligence. Vitin Puri, general secretary, NGO Hindustan Welfare Blood Donors Club, which is the main complainant in the case, said: “It has been four years since the case first surfaced. In January this year, a reinvestigation was ordered by the court. But we — the complainant NGO — were never sought by the police during the course of the investigation, even though we are the complainant. Can the police issue a cancellation report without consulting the complainant? Due to the lack of action, the same people continue operating blood banks elsewhere.” Seeking merger in Edu Dept, computer teachers threaten stir Jalandhar, July 10 Members of the Computer Teachers’ Union in a meeting held here today decided to hold protests across the state on July 27, seeking their merger in the Education Department. Union president Baljinder Singh Fatehpur and member Gurwinder Singh Tarn Taran, addressing mediapersons, said around 7,000 computer teachers across the state, who were regularised under the Punjab ICT Education Society in 2011, had been demanding they should be brought under the Education Department and given all benefits of a regular teacher, but the state government was paying no heed to their demands. They said the previous government, too, gave assurances that they would bring all computer teachers under the Education Department but failed to deliver. “Likewise, the AAP government too, made tall promises of ACTION PLAN READY Members of the Computer Teachers’ Union said after district-level protests on July 27, they would hold a statewide protest on August 13 to press the state government to accept their demands regularising teachers and making education better, but the CM has failed to provide a solution for our demands,” they added. They further said the government was already paying the salaries through society, and all they were demanding is that the salaries be paid directly by the government, rather than through the society as a grant. “If the government fails to respond to our demands, we would intensify our agitation with more rallies, conferences and meetings, highlighting the government’s failure and ignorant attitude towards its teachers,” said Fatehpur. — TNS Eid fervour A man and his son celebrate Eid in Jalandhar on Sunday; and devotees offer prayers at Eidgah. PHOTOS: SARABJIT SINGH 20 new Covid cases in district Jalandhar, July 10 As many as 30 new cases of Covid were reported from Jalandhar district today of which 20 belong to other districts. The Covid tally in Jalandhar reached 78,729 cases today. As many as 77,030 people recovered from Covid in dis- trict while the number of active cases in Jalandhar was 104 today. The tally of deceased remained at 1,581. Meanwhile, Kapurthala district reported five new Covid cases today. The Covid tally in Kapurthala district reached 23,987 today. Meanwhile, no new death was reported in district today. Total tally of deceased remains at 583. — TNS Garbage dump at Chuggiti raises a stink, MC looks other way Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 10 Heaps of garbage lying unattended along the Chuggiti bypass road has become an eyesore for the nearby residents and commuters. Locals has alleged despite repeated complaints, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has done nothing to remove the garbage dump from the site. Prof Namrata Joshi, who resides at the Regional Campus Laddhewali here, said: “This road is one of the prominent and busiest roads of the city. It is the main road to GNDU Regional Campus and other residential localities, including Sangam Vihar, Guru Nanak Pura, Ekta Nagar, Aytar Nagar, etc. Students and residents are forced to suffer every day due to the negligence of the civic body.” Daljit Singh, a resident of Sangam Vihar, said it seemed the MC officials were least interested in lifting the garbage from here. “For the past many months, the garbage hasn’t been removed by the sanitation workers. Besides, we residents have many a time spotted MC workers disposing of garbage collected from other areas here. Heaps of waste lie unattended from Chuggiti Chowk to the road leading to the railway crossing. Though the officials concerned have assured us of solving the issue many a time, nothing concrete is visible on the ground,” he added. Meanwhile, the councillor of the area, Manjit Singh Chattha, blamed the Mayor and the Health branch officials for failing to resolve the Will pass the order to lift the garbage at the earliest: Mayor LIES UNATTENDED Ever since the dump was created here, it has been growing, and right now it stands almost at the doorstep of the electricity office and covers a considerable portion of the road. ❝ ❞ Prof Namrata Joshi, LOCAL RESIDENT OFFICIALS INDIFFERENT I have taken up the issue time and again in the House meetings and with officials. Despite repeated complaints, nothing has happened. ❝ Waste dumped at the Chuggiti chowk has become an eyesore. TRIBUNE PHOTO issue despite repeated complaints. “I have taken up this issue time and again in the House meetings and person- c m y b ally with the sanitary inspectors, but to no avail,” he said. He claimed he had requested the MC authorities to put dustbins at the point, and even instructed sanitation workers to throw garbage in the bins, but due to the lack- ❞ Manjit Singh Chattha, AREA COUNCILLOR adaisical attitude of the authorities concerned, no regulations were being followed. Chattha further said that at this time of the season, the risk of infection remained high. Residents had complained about the unhygienic condition in the area. “I will again take up the matter with the health branch. The dumping site has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and residents are under constant fear of catching dengue, malaria and among other diseases, therefore, removing the dump and ensuring cleanliness in the city, is the first and foremost duty of the MC,” he added. Mayor Jagdish Raja said, “The MC is taking care of cleanliness and collecting garbage from every corner of the city. If residents are facing problems, we will ensure the cleaning of the area. I will meet the officials concerned tomorrow, and pass the order to lift the garbage at the earliest.”