22022023-LT-01.qxd 22-02-2023 01:09 Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune LOUDSPEAKER CURBS AT RELIGIOUS PLACES IN RAIKOT KUBBRA SAIT ROPED IN FOR PRAKASH JHA’S WEB SERIES Veteran filmmaker Prakash Jha has reportedly approached Kubbra Sait for a big OTT project. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 28°C | MIN 13°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 14°C RANVEER SINGH RAPS, FANS FIND IT ‘EMBARRASSING’ The Raikot subdivision has set an example to ban use of loudspeakers at religious places till April 20. P2 FORECAST Comedian Hasan Minaj has shared a video of Ranveer Singh trying to rap in a locker room. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.19 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7:00 AM » WEDNESDAY | 22 FEBRUARY 2023 | LUDHIANA POLLUTION IN SIDHWAN CANAL NGT gives MC three weeks’ time to file response to joint panel’s report Tribune News Service collection point of the corporation was also one of the reasons for dumping of waste into the canal and it was evident from the report that the civic body is taking steps for removal of garbage from the bed of the Sidhwan Canal. It might not call for any action against the MC for future but for past default and violations, the Bench find that the corporation cannot evade the responsibility of payment of environmental compensation on the application of principle of Polluters Pay, the NGT order reads. Meanwhile, an advocate appeared for MC, Ludhiana, sought three weeks’ time to file its response on the report as well as on the question of the municipality’s responsibility about environmental compensation in respect of the past default. The NGT Bench granted the request. The NGT Bench ordered that the corporation should also mention specifically in its reply as to what time it would take to complete the work of removal of garbage from the bed of the canal and also for shifting of the said waste collection site to another place for preventing disposal of waste into the canal and regulate encroachment, if any, on both sides of the canal. The Irrigation and Flood Canal Department might demarcate and notify ‘No Development Zone’ on both sides of the canal. The next hearing would be on March 15. Notably, applicants Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira had questioned against multiple points mentioned in the report. The MC had started the cleanliness drive after the applicants moved the NGT over pollution in the Sidhwan Canal. Ludhiana, February 21 In the case regarding pollution in the Sidhwan Canal, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted three weeks’ time to the civic body to file its response to a joint committee’s report. A joint committee constituted by the NGT had earlier submitted its report regarding pollution in the Sidhwan Canal to the tribunal. The committee has found that primary pollutants in the canal are worship material, beddings, clothes, plastic bags and other items, which are thrown into the water body by the public. The report also states that there is also a secondary solid waste collection point of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, on the right side downstream of Gill Bridge. As per the report, now, the corporation has taken steps for removing garbage from the bed of the Sidhwan Canal with the assistance of the Department of Water Resources, Sidhwan Canal Division, and also installing chain fencing along the banks of the canal by the MC to prevent the public Man held with 1.5 kg-heroin Couple dies as car hits stationary truck Ludhiana, February 21 The Special Task Force wing of the Ludhiana police nabbed a man and recovered 1.5-kg heroin from his possession. He has been identified as Baljinder Pal (50) of Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Patiala. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against him. STF inspector Harbans Singh said a tip-off was received that Baljinder was into a drug smuggling trade and he was coming from Patiala to Ludhiana on bus to deliver heroin to his clients at Railway Colony. Inspector Harbans said the police laid a naka at a strategic point where he was nabbed. During the checking, 1.5-kg heroin was seized. During the preliminary probe, Baljinder admitted that he was into the notorious trade from over a year and he had started this trade to become rich in a short span of time. Inspector Harbans said that now police remand of smuggler would be sought for further questioning to bust drug supply line. — TNS Our Correspondent WHAT THE ORDER SAYS The NGT Bench ordered that the MC should also mention specifically in its reply as to what time it would take to complete the work of removal of garbage from the bed of the canal and also for shifting of the said waste collection site to another place for preventing disposal of waste into the canal and regulate encroachment on both sides of the canal. The Irrigation and Flood Canal Department might demarcate and notify ‘No Development Zone’ on both sides of the canal. The next hearing would be on March 15. Payal, February 21 A couple died after the car they were travelling hit a stationary truck on a slip road on the national highway near Bija Chowk on Tuesday evening. The deceased were identified as Charanjit Singh Charni (50) and his wife Gian Kaur of Aslapur village in Ludhiana district. They were returning home after attending a wedding at Manak Majra village in Malerkotla district. Though the police were yet to ascertain details about the deceased’s background, sources revealed that Charni had been involved in a drug peddling case and was lodged in a jail and he had come out on parole. It is believed that a wooden bar kept in the car might have obstructed the application of brakes, which led to the mishap. As per information received from Karamjit from throwing garbage. The committee found on January 20 that over 60 per cent work of cleaning the canal was completed. During the hearing in the case on February 20, the NGT’s Principal Bench said they find that solid waste The ill-fated car that met with the mishap near Bija Chowk in Payal. TRIBUNE PHOTO Singh of Aluna Miana village (an eyewitness), sarpanch of Aslapur village Paramjit Kaur said the car hit the truck parked on a slip road near Bija Chowk after its driver (Charni) lost control over the vehicle this evening. Though the couple were declared dead at the Civil Hospital, Payal, no doctor was available on emergency duty there. Police personnel, led by Kotan Chowki in-charge Jagdeep Singh, took both vehicles in their custody and asserted that further action would be initiated after recording statements of next of kin of the deceased. ADGP leads search op in city Realtor alleges assault by ex-cop; probe marked Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 21 The ADGP Punjab, MF , Farooqui, supervised the surprise search operation conducted at various places in the city on Tuesday. Farooqui was accompanied by Police Commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu and a huge police force. Farooqui said it was a surprise checking conducted wherein entire city was divided into four zones and senior officials led operation at every zone. “The police have already tightened noose around drug smugglers and criminal elements. The operation is conducted to further catch criminal elements indulging in drug smuggling or any other criminal activity. In coming days, residents can expect more such surprise checks,” the ADGP said. The ADGP along with the , Tribune News Service Cops during the search operation in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN police force, visited Amarpura, Bhaat mohalla, Islamganj, Sensi mohalla and Issa Nagari where search was conducted in houses and even vehicles were also checked. During the checking, the police reportedly recovered Rs 8 lakh from a person and the person claimed himself as a petrol pump dealer. The police said after verifying the source of money, the police will release it. The police said police would reveal about recoveries made from the operation after compiling the same in detail. Checking also conducted in Khanna and Jagraon. ADGP Arun Pal led the drive in the continued on page 2 Ludhiana, February 21 A city-based realtor, Rajnish Thakur, today alleged that retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Punjab Police, along with his men, attacked him over a property dispute at Dugri here. The property over which a dispute was going on between both parties was said to be of several crores. The complainant lodged a complaint at the ACP’s office which marked a probe. However, the former police officer, Randhir Singh, had completely denied the allegations. The complainant alleged his daughter Shilpa Sharma, an NRI, owns around 1,400 sq-yd land at Bhai c m y b Himmat Singh Nagar, Dugri. On the land, some construction was done and to complete the work, he took labourers and required machinery at land today. “When the construction activity was going on, retired police officer Randhir along with his aides came and forcibly stopped the work. He and his men attacked our man Prabhjot Singh and later fled. Later, we called the police helpline number 112 and also informed the ACP , Atam Nagar. We also met the ACP who promised to con, duct a fair probe in the matter,” Thakur said. The complainant alleged on October 28 last year, his daughter had also lodged a complaint regarding the property dispute with the continued on page 2 Ludhiana-Bathinda expressway project awaits land, says NHAI Possession of mere 2.7-km taken for 45.24-km stretch Nitin Jain Tribune News Service PROJECT REPORT TOTAL COST TOTAL LENGTH ~2,461.64 CRORE 75.543-KM Ludhiana, February 21 Another major highway and expressway project is awaiting land to take off in Ludhiana district, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has confirmed. Even over 15 months after the work to build LudhianaBathinda greenfield expressway had been awarded, the possession of mere 2.7-km land had been taken so far for the construction of a 45.24km stretch in the district, officials have said. A total of 323.52 hectares of land was required to build the 45.24-km stretch of the expressway in the jurisdiction of Ludhiana district. NHAI Project Director Krishan Sachdeva told The Tribune, here, on Tuesday that the land acquisition proceedings for the total 323.52 hectares had been completed in the district of which the award had been announced for 267.22 hectares. He said the possession of only 2.72-km land had been taken so far even as a sum of Rs 190 crore of the total award amount of Rs 369.98 crore had been deposited and Rs 68.83 crore had even been disbursed, which accounts for 18.6 per cent of the total award money. The 45.24-km stretch in the district entails the civil cost of Rs 981 crore and land acquisition expenditure of Rs 544.36 crore, taking the total capital cost to Rs 1,555.13 crore. While the Package 1 of the 30.3-km-long greenfield expressway to build six-lane access controlled highway will start from the junction with the Amritsar-Bathinda greenfield road (NH-754A) near Rampura Phul to the junction with Moga-Barnala road (NH-703) near Tallewal village on the NH-754-AD falling in Bathinda, Moga and Barnala districts, the Package-2 comprising 45.24km stretch will take off from the junction with Moga-Barnala road (NH-703) near Tallewal village to the junction with the Delhi-Katra expressway (NE-5) near Ballowal village in Ludhiana on the NH-754-AD. The six-lane access-controlled highway will connect Ballowal village on the DelhiAmritsar expressway with Rampura Phul on the Amritsar-Bathinda expressway. Once constructed, the drive from Ludhiana to Bathinda will become smoother and faster as the project entails six-laning of the 75.543-kmlong national highway 754-AD at the cost of Rs 1,716.17 crore. The part of LudhianaAjmer economic corridor (EC-8) was scheduled to be completed within 24 months under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, Phase 1. The widening and strength- Use Punjabi in office, personal life: CP to cops Snatcher, trader held with 55 cell phones Ludhiana, February 21 Commissioner of Police (CP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu on Tuesday appealed to officers of the Ludhiana Commissionerate to increasingly use mother language Punjabi for official purposes as well as in their personal lives and urged them to promote mother tongue. Addressing the police personnel during a function at the Police Lines here to celebrate International Mother Language Day, Sidhu said: “We should be proud about the mother language as it defines our identity and brings oneness in society. It is the mother tongue for which a child does not require any training as it comes naturally.” “We may go around the world and learn many languages but we should never forget our mother tongue. Youngsters should become ambassadors of Punjabi language for a successful life by promoting and propagating the mother tongue, remembering motherland,” he said. He also asked parents to encourage their kids to appreciate their mother tongue so that they feel proud to speak it. Meanwhile, the CP also distributed specially designed clocks having engraved numbers and 35 letters of Punjabi alphabets in Gurmukhi script and has “Ma boli saada maan” slogan in the bottom. — TNS Tribune News Service LANES: 6 | ROW: 60m CURRENT STATUS: Work allotted, land acquisition in progress TOTAL LAND REQUIREMENT: 525.19 hectares DEADLINE: March 2024 OWNER: NHAI | MODEL: HAM CHIEF SECY CALLS MEETING ■ Taking cognisance of reports on the non-availability of land for major NHAI projects in various parts of the state, Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua has called a meeting of the state and district functionaries concerned to discuss the issue and decide the future course of action on February 22. ■ Chief Secretary asserted: “We are committed to provide requisite land for all infrastructure development projects and will take all necessary steps to remove hurdles coming in the way.” Ludhiana, February 21 Police Station Division No. 5 today claimed to have nabbed a snatcher and a mobile shopkeeper and recovered 55 looted mobile phones from their possession. The suspects have been identified as Manpreet Singh of Manjit Nagar and a mobile phone shopkeeper Munish Kumar of Gill Road. One of the aides of Manpreet, Kaka of Jalandhar, had managed to give a slip to the police party. A case of snatching was registered against the accused. ACP Civil Lines, Jasroop , Kaur Bath, and SHO SI Neeraj Chaudhary held a conference to inform the media. The ACP said acting on a ening of the highway had been taken up by the NHAI in two parts under the hybrid annuity model (HAM) mode. The first component of the NH-754-AD will comprise 30.3-km while the second part will run into a 45.243-km stretch. The total civil cost of the project has been estimated at 1,639 crore, including Rs 658 crore for first part and Rs 981 crore for the second component, while Rs 754.71 crore was earmarked for the land acquisition, which included Rs 210.35 crore for Package 1 and Rs 544.36 crore for Package 2. The total capital cost of the expressway was estimated at Rs 2,461.64 crore, including Rs 906.51 crore for the first component and Rs 1,555.13 crore for the second part. The new Ludhiana-Bathinda expressway will pass through 36 villages falling in three districts of Ludhiana, under Ludhiana and Raikot tehsils, Barnala, under Barnala and Tapa tehsils, and Rampura Phul tehsil in Bathinda district. secret information, the police party conducted a raid and nabbed the accused, Manpreet. During the probe, Manpreet admitted that he sold looted mobiles to shopkeeper Munish, who runs a shop on Gill Road. The police also arrested Munish. ACP Bath said Manpreet had a criminal past as he was nabbed by the police in January 2022. After releasing on bail in March last year, he again started mobile snatchings. The police said he (Manpreet) had committed mobile snatching mainly on RK Road and near Sherpur Chowk. Now the police remand of the accused would be sought to arrest his accomplice Kaka, who fled the spot. The suspects in police custody in Ludhiana on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: HIMANSHU MAHAJAN