29012023-LT-01.qxd 29-01-2023 00:43 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GILL ROAD RECONSTRUCTION: PAC DEMANDS PROBE CM TO OPEN JAMALPUR STP ON FEB 2, SAYS MLA GREWAL The STP is a part of ongoing project for rejuvenation of Buddha Nullah at a cost of ~650 crore. P2 GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 19°C | MIN 8°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 8°C SHAH RUKH KHAN CALLS SALMAN KHAN ‘GOAT’ Alleging poor workmanship, members of public action committee have written to CM Mann & Vigilance Bureau. P2 FORECAST Shah Rukh Khan called Salman Khan ‘GOAT’ during an interaction with fans on social media. P4 » » SUNSET SUNDAY 5.58 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 7.20 AM » SUNDAY | 29 JANUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 28 The city police on Friday arrested three minor boys who had thrashed a youth and also fired shots in the air. The police also recovered one countrymade .315 bore weapon, one live cartridge and a sharp weapon from the accused. All the accused are residents of Giaspura. After producing them in a court, they were sent to the juvenile home by the court. ASI Savinder Singh said they received information that the minor boys had thrashed a youth in Makkar colony and also fired shots in the air. Owing to the firing in the area, panic-stricken people ran into their houses to save their lives. A police party conducted a raid and nabbed the three assailants. As the court had not granted police remand of the accused, they were sent to juvenile home. Police officials said a probe was on to enquire about the criminal background of the accused and from where they had got an illegal weapon. A probe would also be conducted to find out if the minor boys had used the weapon to commit any loot or cause bullet injury to any person. It is pertinent to mention here that illegal weapons are easily available from UPbased weapons suppliers who sell these at a cheap price to criminal elements. No fresh case of virus in dist Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 28 No fresh case of Covid-19 was reported from the district on Saturday too. The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, has confirmed a total number of 1,13,637 positive cases and 3,018 deaths due to the virus in district so far. COVID FIGURES SAMPLES 40,66,412 POSITIVE 1,13,637 DEATH 3,018 ~29.08-cr development works approved for dist To give boost to basic facilities, pollution-free environment Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 28 To give a boost to the basic civic amenities and provide a pollution-free environment, a host of development projects worth Rs 29.08 crore have been approved for Ludhiana district, the government has announced. Making the announcement, Local Government Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar said the main objective of the development projects would be to provide basic facilities, clean and pollution-free environment to residents of the district. He said Rs 27.67 crore would be spent on supply, installa- APPROVED PROJECTS ■ ~27.67 crore for supply, installation, testing and commissioning of portable compactors for secondary storage and hook loaders for transportation of municipal solid waste. ■ ~66.76 lakh for implementation of surveillance infrastructure in court complex, Deputy Commissioner’s office and their vicinity. ■ ~74.7 lakh for supply of ready mix road repair bituminous material. tion, testing and commissioning of portable compactors for secondary storage and hook loaders for transportation of municipal solid waste for the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, which would also include the operation and maintenance cost. While a sum of Rs 66.76 lakh will be spent for implementation of surveillance infrastructure in the court complex, Deputy Commissioner’s office and their vicinity, another project of Rs 74.7 lakh has been approved for supply of ready mix road repair bituminous material for central store of the corporation. The minister hoped that the large population of the district will be benefited from these development works. “To implement the projects, the Local Government Department has already started the official process,” he said. Dr Nijjer said the main priority of the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, was to provide a corruption-free administration to the people of the state. “To ensure the same, I have given instructions that no officer or employee caught indulging in corrupt practices will be spared at any cost,” he asserted. He has also instructed officers of the Local Government Department to ensure quality control and transparency in the ongoing and all future development works. Garbage dumped along the service lane on 200 Feet Road in Ludhiana. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA Service lane near LIG flats on 200 Feet Road turns a garbage dump Harshraj Singh Goods worth lakhs ruined in city’s knitwear shop blaze Another fire incident reported at a house in Dugri Phase I Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 28 Two fire incidents were reported in the city on Friday night in which the owners faced loss of several lakh rupees. One incident took place at a two-storey shop in Wait Ganj and another in a house at Dugri Phase-1. As per information, the first incident took place in a shop (Shivaye Knitwears). Since the shop was situated in a crowded place and a market full of encroachments, fire tenders faced tough times in dousing the flames. Firemen had to clear traffic and encroachments from the market to reach the destination. Fire Brigade officials said due to the encroachments in the market, fire tenders had to crawl slowly to reach outside the house and they themselves had to get the road cleared of traffic. The ASHWANI DHIMAN 3 minors sent to juvenile home for assaulting youth Firemen douse the flames at a knitwear shop in Wait Ganj. fire, which broke out in the first floor of the shop, could be controlled by the firemen within one and a half hours. Fireman Vijay Kumar said a short-circuit was being suspected to be the reason behind the fire that gutted a huge stock of knitwears. Sources said initially the firemen tried to douse the flames by pouring water but due to its intensity they could not douse the flames. Meanwhile, shopkeepers of the market said the powercom department always failed to pay heed to the web of electricity cables, which often leads to a short-circuit. Even the incident occurred due to short circuit. They demanded that the department should settle these cables in such a way as fire incidents did not take place in future. Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the first floor of a house at Dugri Phase-1. Fortunately, the fire was controlled by firemen within 15 minutes. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained. Tribune News Service 4 mobiles seized from jail inmates Ludhiana, January 28 A service lane on 200 Feet Road near LIG flats in Urban Estate Dugri is turning into an open garbage dump as the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has failed to take the necessary action in this regard. Now, it has become difficult for pedestrians and commuters to pass through the stretch as garbage has been dumped on both sides of the service lane. Passers-by allege that some people have been dumping waste on the stretch for a long period, but no steps are being taken by the department concerned to curb this unwanted practice. Notably, the main 200 Feet Road has already become a nightmare for commuters due to huge potholes. The residents also complain of poor condition of footpaths. A morning walker, Satinder Singh said a huge amount of waste has been dumped along the boundary wall of residential flats on the stretch. “It is difficult to pass through the Ludhiana, January 28 A surprise checking at the Central Jail here led to the seizure of four cellphones from inmates on Tuesday. The inmates have been identified as Jatin Sharma, Ishan, Mohammad Islam, Hari Om and Gurmeet Singh. A case under the Prisons Act was registered against the suspects on Friday. Assistant Superintendent of Jail Kashmir Lal said on January 24, he along with the team conducted checking in the jail which led to the recovery of four cellphones during the frisking of inmates and from their belongings. The jail department had already launched a probe to ascertain how these inmates managed to get phones inside the jail. The cellphones would also be sent to a lab for forensic examination and call details scanned to inquire if they were in touch with any criminal elements over phone. Though cellphones are being found from jail inmates every second day, the authorities have failed to curtail the menace. — TNS WASTE ALSO BEING DUMPED NEAR FLOWER CHOWK Waste is also being dumped in the open near Flower Chowk on 200 Feet Road. The residents demand that GLADA must carry out a drive to improve sanitary conditions. FOOTPATHS TOO IN POOR CONDITION ❝ Some people have been dumping waste on the service lane for a long period, but no steps are being taken by the department concerned to curb this practice. Notably, the main 200 Feet Road has already become a nightmare for commuters due to huge potholes. The residents also complain of poor condition of footpaths. — Passers-by ❞ stretch due to the foul smell emanating from the waste dumped on both sides of the service lane. It seems that the footpaths on 200 Feet Road have also not been cleaned for a long time.” he said. “The authorities concerned must take necessary measures to ensure cleanliness in the area. Also, the required action should be taken against the violators who have been dumping the waste there,” he said. A resident of Dugri said, “I often come to this side for a morning walk, but I avoid passing this service lane. Solid waste is being dumped on the sides of Tata Steel begins work on ~2,600-crore plant near cycle valley Nitin Jain Tribune News Service PROJECT REPORT Capital expenditure: ~2,600 crore in Phase I Land: 5,56,600 sq yds (115 acres) | Land cost: ~162,24,89,000 Allotment price: ~2,915 per sq yd | Employment: 2,500 HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Ludhiana, January 28 In a major development, Tata Steel Limited (TSL), one of the top global steel companies, has finally begun work to set up a new 0.75 MTPA electric arc furnace (EAF)-based steel making shop with rebar mill in Ludhiana district, the government has confirmed. The world’s most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the globe, was allotted a 115-acre site by Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation Limited (PSIEC) on July 14 last at the cost of Rs 162.25 crore, officials have said. The development assumes significance as it was the first major investor that has started ground work in Punjab since the formation of the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in To set up EAF-based steel making shop with rebar mill over 115-acre facility Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran felicitates CM Mann during the latter’s recent visit to Mumbai; and (right) the project site. DAWN OF A NEW ERA It is dawn of a new era as the project will boost investment promotion in the state. We are committed to promoting industry by ensuring a conducive environment and transparentgovernance to investors. Bhagwant Mann, CM ❝ the state in March last. Confirming the development, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told The Tribune on Friday that the ❞ company’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, and global CEO and managing director TV Narendran shared USD 21.06 BILLION ANNUAL TURNOVER ■ TSL was one of the world’s most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the globe. The group has recorded a consolidated turnover of USD 21.06 billion (Rs 1.57 lakh crore) in the financial year ending March 31, 2021. the information with him during his recent visit to the company’s headquarters in Mumbai. He said the construction c m y b work at the project site had begun on Tuesday and the company had assured to complete it at the earliest to usher in an era of industrial revolution in the state. “Investments brought during our regime are not only confined to papers and it has been proved again that we mean what we say,” Mann asserted while stating that it was just the beginning and his government would make Punjab the most-preferred destination for investment in the country. Assuring full support and cooperation to the Tata Group for setting up the plant, the Chief Minister said it was the firstever investment made by the globally-acclaimed company in the state and second biggest in the country after Jamshedpur. The new plant will come up at a new industrial park at Kadiana Khurd, developed adjacent to the stateof-the-art hi-tech cycle valley spread over 383 acres in the city. The TSL had been allotted through e-auction the single plot carved out in the new industrial park spread over 121.45 acres, for which the change of land use (CLU) had been obtained, and layout plan had been approved. The land was allotted through bidding on a 99year leasehold basis renewable for another 99 years for the manufacture of steel rebar products. While Rs 24,33,73,350 being 15 per cent of the total land price, in addition to Rs 16,22,48,900 equivalent to 10 per cent of the total bid price (earnest money) had been already deposited, besides 2 per cent cancer cess amounting to Rs 3,24,49,780 charged extra, the balance 75 per cent of the total plot price will be payable either in lump sum within 60 days from the date of allotment letter without interest or in five equated yearly instalments along with normal interest at the rate of 9.5 per cent per annum. continued on page 2 around 150 m long stretch. Violators should be stopped from dumping waste here in future. Warning boards must be installed there. Besides, GLADA should ensure recarpeting of 200 Feet Road and the service lanes at the earliest.” The waste is also being dumped in the open near Flower Chowk on 200 Feet Road. The residents demand that GLADA must carry out a drive to improve sanitary conditions. Sandeep Kumar, Executive Engineer (Public Health), GLADA, said a machine would be deployed to get the service lane stretch cleaned. Raid on eatery serving hookahs, employee held Tribune News Service Ludhiana, January 28 The city police yesterday conducted a raid at Pablo restaurant situated on the Ferozepur road where hookahs were being reportedly served to youngsters. Assistant manager of the restaurant, Wahegurupal Singh, was arrested from the spot while owner Jasmit Singh and manager Akshit Bhalla managed to flee. A case under various sections of the IPC and the Tobacco Act was registered against the three suspects. ASI Bhupinder Singh said a tip-off was received that flavoured hookahs were being illegally served to youngsters at the restaurant and in lieu, the restaurant owner charged huge sums of money from them. Accordingly, a police party conducted raid and nabbed the assistant manager of restaurant.