15012023-LT-01.qxd 1/15/2023 12:55 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune DISTRICT TO GET 37 AAM AADMI CLINICS ON JAN 26 MADHURI DIXIT REMEMBERS LATE PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ RRR FILMMAKER RAJAMOULI MEETS STEVEN SPIELBERG Seeing the response from the public, the district is all set to open 37 more Aam Aadmi Clinics. P2 At Indian Idol, Madhuri Dixit shares how late Pandit Birju Maharaj choreographed a song for her. P3 “I just met God,” said RRR maker SS Rajamouli after meeting Steven Spielberg at West Hollywood. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 15°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 16°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SUNDAY 5:46 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7:25 AM » SUNDAY | 15 JANUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA INBRIEF 1,948 INTOXICATING TABLETS SEIZED Ludhiana: A surprise checking in the Central Jail, Ludhiana, led to the seizure of 1,948 intoxicating tablets and 92 sachets of chewable tobacco. Assistant Jail Superintendent Kashmir Lal said on January 12, while patrolling on the jail premises jail staff found two packets which contained 1,948 intoxicating tablets. Later, they also seized 92 sachets of tobacco. The Jail Department has launched a probe to inquire about those who dumped the banned items in the jail. So far, a case against has been registered. TNS COUPLE DIES OF SUFFOCATION Ludhiana: A couple suffocated to death after falling asleep with the Lohri fire burning in their room at Model Gram. The bodies were recovered on Saturday morning. The deceased have been identified as Satish Kumar and Anita Rani, both natives of UP. Kochar Market in-charge Bhisham Dev said deceased Satish and his wife were working at some godown and they were staying on its third floor. On Friday night, they lit the Lohri fire and later kept it inside the room. They seemed to have died of suffocation during sleep. The ASI said the bodies were sent for autopsy and their families, who were staying in UP, were informed about the incident. Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPc were initiated by the police in the incident. TNS Bought by spending huge amount, many e-rickshaws gather dust Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 Many of newly purchased erickshaws for the door-todoor lifting of garbage are gathering dust as the Municipal Corporation (MC) failed to make these operational. Questions were also being raised as the e-rickshaws were allegedly purchased at high rates by the corporation last year. According to information, the civic body had purchased 350 e-rickshaws at a cost of around Rs 8.5 crore but only 80 e-rickshaws have been deployed on roads so far. Now, layers of dust have covered many of the e-rickshaws that have been stationed at the MC’s workshop on Hambran Road, here. Raising questions, a city resident, Keemti Rawal, said the e-rickshaws were purchased spending a huge amount by the civic body but many of these were not being used for lifting of garbage. He said: “It is a matter of concern that after spending crores of rupees, many e-rickshaws are still not being used. If these were not required, why did the MC purchased the same? Moreover, the e-rickshaws were flagged off by some AAP MLAs in their respec- E-rickshaws purchased for lifting garbage stationed at the MC’s workshop in Ludhiana. INDERJEET VERMA OF 350 E-RICKSHAWS BOUGHT, ONLY 80 DEPLOYED According to information, the Municipal Corporation had bought 350 e-rickshaws at a cost of around ~8.5 crore but only 80 e-rickshaws have been deployed on roads so far. Now, layers of dust have covered many of the e-rickshaws that have been stationed at the civic body’s workshop on Hambran Road in Ludhiana. tive constituencies last year. The AAP government must take steps to make these e-rickshaws operational for the doorto-door lifting of garbage.” Rawal alleged that “It came to light that the average cost of an e-rickshaw for garbage collection is said to be around Rs 1.25 lakh in the market but the MC pur- chased e-rickshaws at more than the double rates, as per information. I have sent a complaint in this regard to the state government.” Notably, a partition has been made in the container of the e-rickshaws to ensure the collection of segregated waste (dry and wet waste). Earlier, the NGT’s panel had given Man extorts money in cops’ name, held Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 The Focal Point police today claimed to have arrested a man who had been extorting money from the people in the name of the police. The suspect has been identified as Vikas Chauhan, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi colony. ACP Murad Jasvir Singh Gill and Focal Point SHO inspector Amandeep Singh Brar addressed a press conference in this regard. Mangal Das of Focal Point had lodged a police complaint that her son was called at the Focal point police station on January 13 for questioning regarding some case and she had also reached the police station with him. After her son met the officials concerned, they both came out of the station. “When we were standing outside the police station, the suspect met us and stated that the Focal Point police would directions to the corporation to ensure waste segregation in the city. An official of the MC’s health branch said the MC had purchased 350 e-rickshaws and at present, 80 of them were operational in the city. The remaining erickshaws would be made functional soon, he said. Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said he would look into the matter and ask officials why the remaining e-rickshaws had not been made operational. The civic body would have purchased these e-rickshaws with proper planning and carefully in the past. MC demolishes 7 illegal shops in Kundanpuri Tribune News Service The suspect in police custody in Ludhiana on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO register a case against my son. He said only he could save her son from the registration of a criminal case against him as he has good relations with senior officials of the station. Accordingly, he demanded Rs 16,000 but after negotiations, I gave Rs 8,000 to the suspect,” the complainant alleged. The complainant said later, she realised that the suspect had duped her as he had no links in the Police Department. Afterwards, she lodged a police complaint following which the suspect was arrested by the police. SHO Inspector Brar said of the total bribe money, Rs 6,000 was recovered from the suspect and his further questioning was on to inquire about other cases in which he had extorted money from other people in the name of the police. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against the suspect by the police. Ludhiana, January 14 The Municipal Corporation (MC) demolished seven illegal shops being constructed in a residential area of Kundanpuri on Saturday. An official said the civic body authorities had razed the illegal shops around a month ago but the owner had restarted construction work at the site. MC head draftsman MS Bedi said the owner had restarted construction of shops, following which the demolition drive was organised on Saturday. A warning had also been issued to the owner that an FIR would be lodged against him, if he restarts the construction of shops in the residential area, the official said. ROB approaches: Survey begins to prepare fresh drawings Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 A survey has been started to prepare fresh drawings of approaches to be constructed by GLADA for the railway overbridge (ROB) over the Ludhiana-Dhuri rail tracks near Gill village. Executive Engineer of GLADA Sandeep Kumar said a team of RITES Limited, Gurgaon, visited the project site and it has started the survey to prepare the drawings for the construction of approaches for the ROB. Once the drawings are finalised, the GLADA would float tenders for the construction of the approaches. Notably, the work to con- PROCESS TO ACQUIRE LAND BEGAN 12 YRS AGO The GLADA started the land acquisition process for the Missing Link-2 project around 12 years ago but the project could not be completed to date. The work to construct the railway portion of the Missing Link 2 ROB is underway. INDERJEET VERMA struct the railway portion of the ROB is already underway. According to the GLADA official, an amendment was earlier made in the design to join the railway portion of the ROB with approaches. Hence, GLADA needed to get fresh drawings prepared for the construction of the approaches. The ROB is a part of GLA- c m y b DA’s Missing Link-2 project. The GLADA started the land acquisition process for the project around 12 years ago but the project could not be completed to date. Members of an NGO has been raising demand for early construction of the ROB. The people would be able to commute between Malerkotla Road (Gill Road) and Dugri-Dhandra Road through the ROB once it is constructed. Kite string injures 2 residents, bird Five-yr-old boy seriously hurt in Samrala Our Correspondent Sahnewal, January 14 Two residents of Sahnewal and Kohara and a pigeon received injuries after they got entangled in the Chinese string being used with impunity by people here today. Owner of a newspaper agency, Chaman Lal, was riding his bicycle on the market road when the cycle got entangled in the Chinese string being used by some boys for flying a kite on the road. He fell down and sustained injuries on his arm. Onlookers took him to a doctor for providing first-aid. In the other incident, the Kohara resident was going to a gurdwara when he got entangled in the string badly that his nose began to bleed profusely. He was admitted to a hospital and received stitches on the nose. In another incident, a pigeon fell down after it got entangled in the deadly string at Kohara. Later, it was rescued by residents and given first-aid. “We were expecting the authorities to take up the issue seriously, the manner in which it was publicised in the media but to no avail. Kite flyers used the string with impunity and were least bothered about the harm it can cause to others,” shared Dharamjit Singh Dhillon, a resident of Kohara. In Pakistan, court has banned kite flying. A similar ban should be imposed in India also. The ban on the Chinese string should be strictly enforced as it has been the cause of a number of accidents. Offenders should be punished severely,” he said. “Every year, a ban is imposed on the sale and storage of the Chinese string in the state. Despite that human beings and animals met with Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 14 A five-year-old child suffered serious injuries on his face after he came in contact with the banned Chinese string at Samrala on Friday. Victim gets over 100 stitches on his face From top: A man who got injuries due to the Chinese string; and the injured pigeon in Kohara. TRIBUNE PHOTOS The boy, along with his parents, was returning to Samrala after paying obeisance at a gurdwara in Katana Sahib. The victim was initially rushed to Fortis Hospital from where he was referred to the DMCH. The boy received over 100 stitches on his face and he was still under treatment. The boy’s father, Bikramjit Singh, said they were returning home in their car. His son dropped the windowpane to see kites but unfortunately a sharp plastic string entangled around his face and he suffered sharp wounds. The boy’s family had condemned the state police for failing to control the menace of plastic string. fatal mishaps due to the usage of the same. There is no check on the deadly string. The police should act strictly and raid shops selling the string so that nobody dare engage in the sale of the banned string,” said Telu Ram from Kohara. “People have become irresponsible to the extent that they purchase the string for themselves and also for their children from markets. They use it openly to fly kites. It is the availability of the string which should be primarily questioned. When the string is banned, how does it enter the country? There is a serious lapse on the part of the government,” said Jandeep Kaushal, a social worker of the area.