23012023-LT-01.qxd 1/23/2023 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune TENDER INVITATION BY MC AGAIN UNDER SCANNER SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 BECOMES A SUPERNATURAL DRAMA WEBSOLUTE FUN: GET READY FOR AN EMOTIONAL RIDE Allegations surface over criteria not being followed in tendering conditions of development of green belts. P2 Just like Sasural Simar Ka, its sequel currently airing on Colors also enters into a supernatural verse. P3 OTT brings out the flavours of thrill and patriotism with movies like Against the Ropes, Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 16.8°C | MIN 9.4°C SUNSET MONDAY 5.53 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.22 AM MONDAY | 23 JANUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA 7 of snatchers’ gang nabbed 22 mobile phones, 2 two-wheelers, ladies purse recovered from suspects Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 22 The Haibowal police claimed to have busted a gang of mobile snatchers and arrested seven of its members. The police also recovered 22 mobile phones from them. The suspects have been identified as Satnam Singh, alias Nikka, of Salem Tabri, Harpreet Singh, alias Preeti, of Haidar Enclave, Narinder Kumar, alias Babbu, of Haidar Enclave, Honey Sethi of Salem Tabri, Sulakhan Singh, alias Sukha, of Ladhowal, Maninder Singh, alias Monu, of Fatehpur Awana and Gurpreet Singh, alias Kaka, of Hoshiarpur. A case under various sections of the IPC was registered against the suspects. Besides the mobile phones, a motorcycle, a scooter and a ladies purse were also recovered from the members of the gang. Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Mandeep Singh and Haibowal SHO inspector Bittan Kumar addressed a press confer- The members of the snatchers' gang in police custody. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN COMMITTED OVER 24 SNATCHING INCIDENTS: COP ARE DRUG ADDICTS TOO Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Mandeep Singh said the Haibowal police had received a tip-off that the suspects were running a gang of snatchers and they had committed over 24 snatching incidents in the city. Accordingly, a police team was formed and the suspects were nabbed from the specific location. Later during questioning, 22 mobile phones were recovered from them, he said. During questioning, it was found the suspects were also drug addicts and had a criminal past as well. — Haibowal SHO ence regarding the matter on Sunday. The ACP said the Hai- bowal police had received a tip-off that the suspects were running a gang of Eatery found serving hookah; owner, manager booked Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 22 The Raghunath police post yesterday night conducted a raid at Silk Restaurant in Sukhmani Enclave and found the owner illegally serving hookahs to customers. The police also seized eight hookahs, 20 hookah flavours and a coal burner from the restaurant. A case was registered against owner of the eatery Robin Bhalla and manager Om Sharma. Investigating officer and in-charge of the Raghunath police post ASI Ravinder Kumar said they got information that the manager and owner of the restaurant were serving hookahs to youngsters at the place. After confirming the information, the police conducted a raid and seized hookahs from the restaurant. The hookahs seized from the eatery by the police in Ludhiana. The ASI said restaurant charge hefty money from youngsters in lieu of serving hookahs to them, adding that after registering a case, further probe was launched to inquire for how long the eatery had been resorting to the illegal practice. Several city restaurants and bars have been openly serving hookahs to youngsters but the police have not been taking action against the violators. Restaurants even charge hefty money from customers and the former also assure them that the police will not conduct any raid. ❝ ❞ snatchers and they had committed over 24 snatching incidents in the city. Scattered rain from Jan 24-26 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 22 Weather is expected to remain partly cloudy over Ludhiana and its adjoining areas during the next 24-hours. “From Monday onwards, the weather is expected to change and scattered rainfall is going to be experienced from January 24 to 26. Light showers will be experienced in the coming days which will bring the temperature down,” said Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Maximum temperature recorded today was 16.8 °C while minimum was 9.4 °C. The PAU has cautioned the state farmers about the harmful effects of ground frost due to cold wave on crops and, in particular, newly planted vegetables and plant nurseries. Accordingly, a police team was formed and the suspects were nabbed from the specific location. Later during questioning, 22 mobile phones were recovered from them, he said. Inspector Bittan Kumar said during preliminary questioning, it came to the fore that the suspects were also drug addicts and had a criminal past as well. Several cases of snatching and loot were already registered against them at various police stations in the past. Revealing about the modus operandi of the gang, inspector Bittan said the gang used to steal motorcycle or scooter and after changing the registration number plates, they use the vehicles for committing snatchings. Afterwards, the suspects sell the looted valuables to their clients and buy drugs with the proceeds, he added. In further questioning, more members of the gang could be nabbed and more looted items be recovered, he added. Interest waiver for LIT land allottees on anvil: Chairman Urges minister to introduce one-time settlement scheme Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, January 22 Allottees of plots and properties of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) who had defaulted in payment of instalments towards cost of land/property or those who had failed to raise construction within the stipulated period, and were liable to pay the NCF (non-construction fine) along with interest and penal interest, might get a huge relief if the state government agrees to the proposal mooted by LIT Chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder with Minister for Local Bodies Inderbir Singh Nijjar during a recent meeting in Chandigarh. It was stated by Bhinder. While giving details of the meeting, the LIT chief said he had made a strong case with the minister to introduce one-time settlement scheme for payment of arrears or default amount by allottees of residential plots/flats or commercial properties without interest and penal interest as the huge amount of compounded interest and penal interest on arrears of instalments or the NCF, were a big deterrent towards payment of dues which were mounting year after year. Bhinder said the minister seemed positive to the proposal and sometimes in early March this year, a scheme for interest-free payment of arrears might be brought in by the government for a limited period. “We expect to rake in a huge amount of arrears from this one-time scheme which was long overdue and money thus collected would come handy for speedy execution of pending development works in various Trust colonies,” he said. The LIT Chairman said he had sought a free hand from the government to take stern action under the prevailing laws against violations of standard design, building bylaws and illegal change of land use by allottees in Trust colonies. “The LIT intended to come down heavily upon unlawful occupants (encroachments) in Trust colonies and no one, irrespective of support from political parties, bureaucrats or other senior officials would be spared,” he added. Among other issues, Bhinder said issue of allotment letters to allottees of high-rise housing scheme ‘Atal Apartments’ and disposal of multicrore commercial complex on Maharani Jhansi Road were also came under discussion during the meeting. Pollution in Buddha Dariya affecting subsoil water, public health: Activists Environmentalists continue to take out march to spread awareness Ludhiana, January 22 Activists of the Public Action Committee (PAC) and representatives of NGOs working for conservation of the environment today expressed concern over alarming level of pollution in Buddha Dariya and degradation of its environs while alleging that these were adversely affecting subsoil water and posing a threat to the public health and the authorities ought to tackle the menace through an effective action plan. The 10th phase of ‘padyatra’ along the dariya was carried out from the garbage dump near the Daresi cremation ground till the bridge on Old GT Road under the leadership of a social activist and environmentalist, Subhash Chander. Participants, carrying banners and display boards in hands, Environmentalists take part in the awareness march in Ludhiana. kept raising slogans calling for an end to pollution, cleaning of the water body, closure of polluting industry and dealing with dairy waste. The weekly awareness march has been continuing for the past 10 weeks with the objective of strengthening the Rejuvenation Project of Buddha Dariya by drawing attention of citizens, state government and administration on issues and anomalies hampering in the way of success of the venture and causing delay to the project. PAC member Col CM Lakhanpal said awareness was spread about ill-effects of pollution of Buddha Dariya on the health of people. “On the way, the participants came across many outlets discharging polluted water and effluent with the main polluters being industry, sewage and dairies. Even the last pumping station on the dariya was found to be non-functional and both sides of the water body were devoid of green cover. Brig Indermohan Singh, Col JS Gill, Maninderjit Singh Bawa, Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, Jaskirat Singh, Dr Neelam Sodhi, Ritu Malhan, Dan Bir Singh, Rajinder Singh Kalra, Mohit Saggar, Sunil Paji, Gurpreet Singh Plaha, Puja Sengupta, Krishnendu Sengupta, RS Arora, Yogesh Khanna and Mahinder Singh Sekhon were among those others present. — OC Authorities yet to conduct survey to count trees in city Two nabbed with DEMAND FOR SURVEY RAISED 7 YEARS AGO Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 22 Unauthorised and merciless axing of trees was common in the city wherein air pollution is a major issue for a long time. The Municipal Corporation (MC) has allegedly no proper record of the actual number of trees under its jurisdiction. Environmental activists demand that the departments concerned must ensure the counting and protection of the trees in all 95 wards. Voices against the unauthorised axing of trees were raised in the past too but no concrete steps have been taken to count and number the trees by the civic body. Also, there is no transparency in the plantation of tree saplings and their survival rate. An environmental activist, Col JS Gill (retd), said required measures A demand to carry out a survey and protection of the trees in the city was raised around seven years ago by an NGO, Watavaran Sambhal Society. Amid the shortage of staff available with the MC’s Horticulture Branch, no such survey was conducted. Environmental activists demand that the departments concerned must ensure counting and protection of the trees in all wards. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN must be taken for the protection of trees from unauthorised and merciless axing. “There is a dire need to carry out a survey to count the trees and make proper planning to increase the green cover too. The departments concerned must ensure geot- agging and numbering of the trees. A material which does not harm the trees can be used to mark a number.” A demand to carry out a c m y b survey and protection of the trees in the city was raised around seven years ago by an NGO, Watavaran Sambhal Society. Amid the shortage of staff available with the MC’s Horticulture Branch, no such survey was conducted. A resident, Varinder Kumar, said many plantation drives were carried out in different parts of the city in recent years. “The civic body should also have a record that how many plants have been planted by it so far and at present, what is the status of those plants. A survey regarding the status of all trees in the city should be done. As air pollution is a major issue here, the green cover should be increased too.” An official of the MC’s horticulture branch, Kirpal Singh, said they were aware of trees which were under the jurisdiction of the corporation. He, however, said no survey was done to count the number of the trees. In an audit report of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) in the past, it was also highlighted that all trees planted by the Trust are its property and the incharge concerned has the responsibility to check the status of the trees. The LIT was also recommended to number the trees and make a proper record. 47-kg poppy husk Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 22 The Payal police claimed to have nabbed two persons in separate cases and seized 47 kg of poppy husk from their possession. The police nabbed Gursewak Singh, alias Sewak, of Doraha and seized 22 kg of poppy husk from him. The police also seized a truck (bearing registration no. PB10HA0715) of the suspect that was being used to smuggle narcotics. Investigating officer inspector Kuljinder Singh said the police got a tip-off that Gursewak, the truck driver, was on the way to Payal from Malerkotla to deliver a huge quantity of poppy husk. Accordingly, the police party laid a naka at a strategic point where the truck was stopped for checking. During checking, 22 kg of poppy husk was found, Kuljinder said. In the second incident, the police nabbed a man, identified as Navtej Singh, alias Nuppi, a resident of Bhattian village. Inspector Kuljinder said during routine patrolling at a strategic place, a truck (PB10HA 6700) was signalled to stop for checking on suspicion. Later, during checking 25 kg of poppy husk was found in the vehicle. The police said now, a remand of the suspect would be sought from the court to bust the drug supply chain.