22022023-JTR-01.qxd 22-02-2023 00:07 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune WARRING QUESTIONS AAP'S CLAIMS ON GOVERNANCE RANVEER RAPS, FANS FIND IT ‘EMBARRASSING’ KUBBRA SAIT ROPED IN FOR PRAKASH JHA’S WEB SERIES PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was in Jalandhar on Tuesday. P2 Comedian Hasan Minaj has shared a video of Ranveer Singh trying to rap in a locker room. P3 Veteran filmmaker Prakash Jha has reportedly approached Kubbra Sait for a big OTT project. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.16 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 6:55 AM » WEDNESDAY | 22 FEBRUARY 2023 | JALANDHAR Massive search op held across dist 20 drug peddlers nabbed I205-gm heroin seized I19 FIRs registered Tribune News Service AAP leader Surinder Sodhi pacifies protesters at his house in Defence Colony, Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH Latifpura oustees protest in front of AAP leader’s house Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February21 Latifpura oustees, farmers and activists of various social organisations under the banner of Latifpura Murh Waseba Sanjha Morcha today broke through the barricades put up by the police to stage a massive protest in front of the house of AAP halqa incharge Surinder Singh Sodhi at Defence colony here. Protesters also took out a protest march which traversed Latifpura, BMC Chowk and DC office to reach Sodhi’s house. They burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister and the Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman at Defence Colony and raised slogans against the AAP government. The morcha leaders announced that on March 3, they will hold another SAY WILL CAMPAIGN AGAINST PARTY IN LOK SABHA BYPOLL massive demonstration in front of the house of Warehouse Corporation Chairman Rajwinder Kaur. One of the morcha leaders, Gurdeep Singh Bhandal, while addressing the gathering, said Bhagwant Mann’s AAP government was testing the patience of people. He said today these leaders were putting barricades to stop them from entering their localities, but the day is not far when they would come to their places to seek votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha byelections. He said the Latifpura Sanjha Morcha will campaign against the AAP government. Meanwhile, to calm the pro- testers, halqa incharge Surinder Sodhi came out and sat with them. He promised that he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister and ensure justice was served. Morcha leaders said that until the affected families were rehabilitated and given adequate compensation for the damage and false FIRs registered against residents were not taken back, they would continue the protest. Among others present on the occasion were Santokh Singh Sandhu, Paramjit Singh Jabowal, Jaskaran Singh Kahan Wala, Jathedar Kashmir Singh Jandiala, Tarsem Singh Vicky Jainpur, Sukhjit Singh Droli, Ravinder Singh Koliawal, Harnek Singh Jainpur, Sarabjit Singh, Gurbakhsh Singh Manga, Jasveer Kaur Jassi and others. Jalandhar, February 21 Following the directions of the Director General of Punjab, a cordon and search operation was carried out in the city under the supervision of ADGP RK Jaiswal and Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal and other senior police officials. DCPs, ADCPs and ACPRank officers along with eight station house officers and 143 police personnel conducted a detailed search in the areas at Rama Mandi, Qazi Mandi, Santoshi Nagar, Bheem Nagar, Dhankia Mohalla and among other places. The areas where the search operation was conducted were cordoned off with over 100 police personnel deployed at checkposts and patrolling duties. The intensive search operation, which lasted for nearly three to four hours, resulted in the registration of 19 FIRs and the arrest of 20 persons. The police also recov- Cops conduct raids at the houses of suspects in the Qazi Mandi area of Jalandhar on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTOS ered 205-gm heroin, 61-gm intoxicating powder and 100 intoxicant tablets from the possession of those arrested. The police officials said the search operation was conducted in selected areas based on specific intelligence and information. They said such search operations would be carried out from time to time to strengthen the fight against drugs, besides eliminating gangster culture and maintaining law and order in the city. In Nawanshahr, the police claimed to have arrested seven accused and filed cases related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) act. As many as 316 police personnel were deployed for the special operation. Various teams were constituted by the police under the operation. The teams raided the houses of drug peddlers and also questioned suspicious persons. During the raid, the police recovered 50 intoxicating capsules, five injections, 18-g heroin in two different cases, a total of 4-kg poppy husk and 12 bottles of liquor. Phagwara rly station to be made world-class: MoS Work begins on road linking Hoshiarpur with Himachal Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 21 Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash today said the Phagwara Railway Station has been included in the list of 29 railway stations which would be developed as a world class station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Talking to the press at his residence in Phagwara on Tuesday, he said the Vande Bharat Express train would run between Delhi and Amritsar in future. The train will have only one stop in the journey. He said more than Rs 25 crore would be spent to turn the Phagwara Railway Station into a world class station. The minister said three underpaths would also be constructed near Mauli, Gobindpura and the Kher- ra Road at a cost of Rs 47 crore to facilitate the people. He said the Phagwara Railway Station would be equipped with ultra modern world class facilities. Commenting on the performance of the AAP Punjab Continued on page 2 Will announce LS byelection candidate soon: State BJP chief Garhshankar, February 21 Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO today said no black spot would be left in the state with the strengthening of the road network. He addressed the residents of the area after inaugurating the work of strengthening the 16.40-km-long GarhshankarSantokhagarh road at a cost of Rs 14.32 crore at Adda Jhungian of Garhshankar in the presence of Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Jai Krishan Rouri. Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 21 Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma has announced that the BJP will contest Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelections and will soon announce its candidate. Talking to mediapersons here today, he said the BJP was being warmly accepted by the people of Punjab. He alleged the AAP government could not control the situation of law and order. Replying to a question about the tense relations between AAP Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan and Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the BJP president said the Governor is a constituional head of the state and the CM is answerable to him. He CM ANSWERABLE TO GOVERNOR 16-KM STRETCH TO BE BUILT AT ~14.32 CRORE BY DECEMBER-END ❝The Governor is a constitutional head of the state and the Chief Minister is answerable to him. ❞ Owing to the protest at PAP Chowk (left), the city witnessed traffic snarl-ups at various locations. PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH Ashwani Sharma, STATE BJP CHIEF reiterated that the BJP has zero tolerance to corruption. When asked about the threat given by radical Amritpal Singh to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP President quipped and said that Punjabis had outrightly rejected those elements spreading an atmosphere of hatered in the state and now Punjabis want to live peace- Commuters a harried lot as labour union protests Jalandhar, February 21 Commuters were a harried lot today as the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation held a dharna at the PAP Chowk, holding the traffic across NH1 and the entire city for around four hours. The dharna was started at 11 am in the morning. The mem- DEMAND FOR REGULARISATION OF CONTRACT WORKERS bers have been asking the government to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme, the regularisation of safai karamcharis and sewermen who have been working on a contractual basis. The agitators also raised slo- gans against the government. Huge traffic congestion was experienced today in city due to the blockade. The police and the administration officials reached the location and tried to pursue the protestors to lift the dharna. The chairman of the federation, Chandan Grewal, said, “It is not the first time that we have raised these demands. We had held a meeting with the administration yesterday too, but it turned out to be inconclusive. And hence, we decided to hold a dharna.” NRIs pitch in to renovate heritage building Ashok Kaura ABOUT THE ‘SCHOOL OF EMINENCE’ Phagwara, February 21 In an exemplary gesture, NRIs have pitched in to donate huge amounts for the renovation of the heritage building of Government Senior Secondary School, Phagwara. Though the school was among the 117 institutions that the government selected as a ‘School of Eminence’, it is in a bad condition. The school was inaugurated by Kapurthala Maharaja Jagatjit Singh on January 22, 1913. US-based Phagwara residents Vashisht brothers, ■ Though the school is among the 117 institutions that the government selected as a ‘School of Eminence’, the old building of the school continues to be in a dilapidated condition ■ The school was inaugurated by Kapurthala Maharaja Jagatjit Singh on January 22, 1913. Around 1,300 students currently study in the school Ramesh Sharma, Jogesh and Naresh donated Rs 50 lakh for the reconstruction of the heritage building of the school in memory of their mother, Leela Devi. They have also announced that they would be bearing all the expenses of its beautification. School Principal Ranjit Gogna said around 1,300 stu- dents currently study in the school. The school management committee is headed by Balwant Singh, a social activist. He is assisted by philanthropist and industrialist Kuldip Sardana. NRI Romesh Sharma has asked the committee to complete the reconstruction of the heritage building of the school and the Vashishat Trust would provide more help. The donors were honoured in the presence of DEO Daljit Kaur and others. Sharma has asked the school management committee to complete the reconstruction work and more financial help would be provided for it. Gogna said the government has also sent Rs 40 lakh last year. Two brothers, Sanjiv and Yuvraj, have donated Rs 40 lakh for the construction of a new block in the school. A contribution of more than Rs 70 lakh had been made till now and the three brothers would ensure at least a donation of Rs 1 crore. c m y b Several meetings were held in this regard earlier too, but nothing concrete came out of that. However, after around 4 hours, the dharna was finally lifted. One of the members of the federation said that a meeting with the Chief Minister over the issue has been scheduled for March 7. — TNS The minister said the road connecting Punjab and Himachal Pradesh was important for tourism and trade. A stretch of 16.40 km is in Hoshiarpur district and it goes up to Una in Himachal Pradesh and Nangal Dam, etc. He said the last repair of this road was done in August 2015 and the latest repair would be completed by December 31. The minister saidthe construction work of MahilpurPhagwara road would be started soon. He said this important road connected Mahilpur to Jejon and further to Himachal Pradesh. — OC Mehatpur man held for abetment to suicide Our Correspondent Govt Senior Secondary School in Phagwara. TRIBUNE PHOTO Phagwara, February 21 The Mehatpur police have arrested a man on the charge of abetting suicide. Investigating officer (IO) Balwindar Singh said the accused has been identified as Rohit of Bath Kalan village. Balwindar Kumar, a resident of the same village, had complained to the police that the accused used to stalk and harass his minor daughter Komal (16), who consumed some poisonous substance at her uncle’s place on March 2. She was rushed to the Nakodar Civil Hospital, where the doctor declared her brought dead. Kumar had said in his complaint that his daughter had consumed poison due to harassment by the accused. The investigating officer said a case has been registered under Sections 34 and 306 of the Indian Penal Code and that his accomplice Ravinder Kumar, had been arrested earlier.