10012023-JTR-01.qxd 1/10/2023 12:05 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune 3 HELD FOR SNATCHING CAR FROM A WOMAN AT GUNPOINT ‘EMINEM REJECTED $8 MN TO PERFORM AT 2022 WORLD CUP’ GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS TO STREAM LIVE ON JANUARY 11 The Nawanshahr police have held three men who had snatched a car from a woman in Banga on January 7. Eminem turned down an $8 million offer to perform at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, said rapper 50 Cent.P3 The Golden Globes Awards will stream live on January 11, from 6.30 am onwards on Lionsgate Play. P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 16°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 15°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET TUESDAY 5.42 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 7:27 AM » TUESDAY | 10 JANUARY 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF MAN BOOKED ON ASSAULT CHARGE Nurmahal: The Nurmahal police have booked a local resident on the charge of assaulting another man. Investigating officer (IO) Kulwindar Singh said the accused has been identified as Gagan Deep¸ a resident of Mohalla Kotla. Baljindar Singh, a resident of the same locality, had complained to the police that Gagan had assaulted him on January 5, leaving him injured. A case has been registered against the accused under Section 324 of the IPC. oc TRAVEL AGENT HELD FOR FRAUD Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have arrested a travel agent on the charge of duping a villager of Rs 7 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Shahkot DSP Gurpreet Singh has identified the accused as Harpal Singh, a resident of Lalle village. Mandhala Chhana village resident Kulwindar Singh had complained to the police that even though he had paid Rs 7 lakh to the accused for facilitating his migration to Europe, he could not move overseas. Moreover, the agent did not even return his money. The DSP has said that a case has been registered under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act in this regard. OC ATTEMPT TO LOOT MONEY FROM ATM Mayor’s driver shoots woman, tries to kill self in Hoshiarpur Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, January 9 Panic gripped Purhiran village on the Phagwara road this evening when Manpreet, alias Money, driver of Hoshiarpur Mayor Surinder Kumar Chhinda, reportedly gunned down a woman with his revolver before attempting to kill himself. While the 28-year-old Amarpreet Kaur died on the spot, the driver was immedi- 28-YEAR-OLD DIED ON SPOT ■ While the 28-year-old Amarpreet Kaur died on the spot, the driver was immediately rushed to a private hospital for treatment. The victim was unmarried ■ The accused had reportedly dropped the Mayor at his house adjoining Shimla Pahari on Mall Road saying that he would be back soon after some work ately rushed to a private hospital for treatment. The victim was unmarried. Money had reportedly dropped the Mayor at his house adjoining Shimla Pahari on Mall Road saying that he would be back soon after some work. The family members said Amarpreet was at home with her grandmother when the accused came and shot her in the head. They said they had no clue as to why their daughter had been killed. Model Town SHO Har Prem Singh said the real cause of the incident would be known only after recording the statement of the accused. City DSP Palwinder Singh said, “We have recovered the weapon used in the crime. The police are yet to find out whether it was a licensed revolver.” PCS officers’ strike brings work to halt in govt offices Our Correspondent Phagwara, January 9 Work in most government offices in Phagwara, Phillaur, Nakodar, Shahkot subdivisions, and Nurmahal sub-tehsil remained paralysed on Monday following the revenue officers and the ministerial services unions’ decision to support the strike of Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officers who have proceeded on mass casual leave for five days starting Monday Protest ‘illegal’ arrest of a colleague in Ludhiana by the VB in protest against the ‘illegal’ arrest of a colleague in Ludhiana by the state Vigilance Bureau. PCS officer Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, who was posted as Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in Ludhiana, was arrested on Friday by the Vigilance Bureau for allegedly taking bribes from trans- porters for sparing them from challans for offending vehicles, the bureau had said. The PCS Officers’ Association held a meeting of its general body to discuss Dhaliwal’s arrest. It was resolved in the meeting that all PCS officers in the state shall proceed on a mass casual leave for the coming week starting January 9, it said. It said that a memorandum shall be submitted to Chief Minister Bhagwant continued on page 2 Encroachments galore as NC Cold not Covid makes schools go for online classes fails to act tough on vendors Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Nakodar, January 9 Encroachments on space meant for pedestrians by vendors and shopkeepers had become a routine in Nakodar town as the Nagar Council (NC) authorities have failed to act against the violators. Berms of the road from Fohara Chowk to Ambedkar Chowk, Ambedkar Chowk to Railway Road, Jalandhari Pulli road, Malrri road, and Nurmahal road have gradually been encroached upon. Sweatshop owners, other shopkeepers, and vegetable and fruit sellers have encroached upon the space meant for pedestrians in front of and near the Nagar Council office. Vegetablesselling street vendors have encroached on Gurdwara road. Taxi operators have made berms of Jalandhari Pulli road their stands. Shopkeepers display their wares in front of their shops, leaving little space for the people to walk. Traders selling building materials have blatantly placed hardware in front of their shops. Some shopkeepers even use parts of the road to display their goods. An agriculture implement manufacturer has turned part of the road into his workshop on Nurmahal road. Locals say the failure of the Nagar Council to initiate action for the removal of encroachment at the old vegetable market has encouraged other shopkeepers to encroach upon the road. Jalandhar, January 9 Most schools of the city got back into online mode once again after almost a year. This time not because of Covid but to tide over the ongoing cold, foggy days. The state government had announced to extend the winter break for students till Class VII in all the schools for another week starting on Monday. So as the students of Classes VIII onward attended regular school, the juniors enjoyed the comfort of staying back at home and Govt announces to extend winter break for students till Class VII in all schools for another week starting on Monday attending online classes taken by their school teachers. The city residents got up to see dense fog this morning. Though it remained hazy throughout the day with no sun, even the fog persisted well up to 9:30 am around which the students started for schools today. The timing for the schools was 10 am to 3 pm. Almost every school adopted a slightly different pattern of teaching. The students of St Joseph’s Convent School up to Class VII attended online classes for four hours between 10 am to 1 pm. Class X and XII students of Sanskriti KMV School had their Board practicals lined up from today and hence appeared for the physical education practical test. The pre-board examination also started in the school today. Principal Rachna Monga said, “We had regular classes for the Class VIII students. For Classes VII and below, we held online classes today. They students were given instructions that from tomorrow onward, they would get assignments to be done from home daily. The students would get three hours to complete these revision worksheets, which will be their practice continued on page 2 Nawanshahr residents take out protest march over ash from power plant Tribune News Service Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have booked unidentified persons over an unsuccessful attempt to loot money from an unguarded ATM at the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) branch, situated on Shankar Road near the bus stand, on Saturday night. Bank manager Nikita Sekhawat has complained to the police that the unidentified suspects had broken into the ATM shutter and damaged the CCTV cameras installed there, but they failed to break open the machine. Investigating officer Kulwindar Singh said a case has been registered under Sections 457, 380, 511 and 427 of the IPC in this regard. OC Nawanshahr, January 9 The residents of the town, under the aegis of Lok Sangharsh Manch, took out a massive protest march on the roads of Nawanshahr here today and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to press for a permanent solution to the chronic problem of ash emanating from the power plant. “While the officials of the power plant have persistently been making hollow claims of getting the repair work done, the district administration continued to give false assurances to the people. The district administration, instead of making the reports of the Pollution Control Board public and initiating action, is trying to placate the protesting residents by constituting committees,” said Residents raise slogans in Nawanshahr on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS Jasbir Deep, convenor of Lok Sangharsh Manch, while adding that the people had been facing health and sanitation hazards for long. As the administration has not been taking concrete steps against the power plant officials, the residents have to resort to the agitation path, he added. The protesters said that the stir would be intensified if the district administration continued to have an apathetic attitude towards pub- lic grievances. The District Bar Association also joined in the protest. Paramjit Singh Bakshi, its president, said the DBA has also been mulling legal remedies against the power plant for causing inconvenience to the public. “The power plant officials have not only been making hollow claims but also using cane growers as shield by saying that if the power plant is shut then the sugar mill will have to stop cane crushing as the power plant located on the mill premises is the only source of electricity for running it. However, this is not the reality, the sugar mill could be provided requisite power by the PSPCL,” said DBA office-bearers. Among others present in the protest march were Kulwinder Warraich, MC president, continued on page 2 Nawanshahr residents take out protest march against the administration on Monday. Home demolished a month ago, Latifpura resident gets ~2,250 power bill Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, January 9 Gurbaksh Singh (53) and his wife are forced to spend their nights in a makeshift tent, ever since their house in Latifpura was demolished exactly a month ago. As if this wasn’t enough, on Saturday he was hit by another shocker. He received Rs 2,250 electricity bill for his now non-existent house. A trader, dealing in wood, Gurbaksh Singh and his family have been living in Latifpura for the past over two decades. Their houses were razed on December 9. As sickness and disease hits tents and those putting up under the open skies fend for survival. Gurbaksh is at a loss and not able to describe this new salvo. “Sada Pakistan tan nahi si, hun Hindustan vi nahi reha. Gharon beghar kar ditta (Pakistan was not ours then, now Hindustan isn’t ours either. We’ve been displaced),” says Grubaksh. “On Saturday (January 7) the Electricity Department sent a bill of Rs 2,250 on my mobile phone. It is like a cruel joke. The day that our house was demolished, I was detained by the police. The police picked me up after I sought orders for the demolition from some officials. I was arrested and our mobiles were taken away by the police. I was taken around in a police vehicle all day to Jawahar Nagar, Cantt and Jamsher police stations. I couldn’t even contact my children as my house was being demolished. Though I repeatedly asked them. Now, they are asking me to pay a Gurbaksh Singh with his family in a makeshift tent in Latifpura in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO bill as I sit in a tent,” says Gurbaksh On January 7, Gurbaksh received a message from PSPCL for the payment of Rs 2,250 power bill by January 23. Gurbaksh said his parents took their last breath here, the weddings and birth of grandchild in this house. Gurbaksh has all his ID proofs and papers on this house address. Gurbaksh lived in his house in Latifpura with his wife, son, daughter-in-law c m y b and a three-month-old grandson. After his grandson got sick due to the winter, he was shifted to a friend’s house. Gurabaksh, who rented wood rafters, logs and step ladders to earn money lost all his goods after his house fell. Gurbaksh says, “The government has eaten up our means of livelihood too. My rafters and ‘ghodis’ were broken when the home was demolished. We were not able to retrieve anything. Thieves also struck after demolition. They took away taps, lines and even electric wires, all they could find. It’s all gone. My grandson was getting rashes and eruptions on his skin due to cold.” Meanwhile, farmer union activists camping in solidarity with the Latifpura displaced also shared Gurbaksh’s power bill video on social media. The activists said, “This bill has been received on the name of Gurbaksh Singh’s mother. How can the government say this is the Improvement Trust’s land?” Farmers unions have also given a call to block the National Highway at the Dhannowali railway crossing on January 16 in solidarity with the residents displaced in Latifpura. Including Gurbaksh’s grandchild, many residents of Latifpura have fallen sick due to cold. Gurbaksh Singh said 100 people turned up for treatment at a camp set up by the Medical Practitioners’ Association Punjab. Residents had also sought clean drinking water, toilets and doctors from the administration days ago. Meanwhile, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, today visited Latifpura. During his visit Lalpura said he had sent a notice to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, on people displaced in Latifpura and had also sought a report on the issue but was yet to receive a response. Speaking on the occasion, Lalpura said, “It won’t be right for me to give a decision or make a declaration before I hear from the state government on the issue. It is clear though that before the demolition, alternate arrangements for stay should have been made for Latifpura residents. Presently, residents are forced to spend nights in the open in the biting cold.” He was accompanied by BJP leaders Manoranjan Kalia, Sarabjit Makkar, Sushil Sharma and others. While Gurbaksh Singh has received the bill for a meter installed in his mother’s name, the bill is for the two month i.e.November-December billing cycle. Inderpal Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer, PSPCL, continued on page 2