25022023-JTR-01.qxd 2/24/2023 11:55 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune FARM UNION URGES PSPCL TO ENSURE POWER SUPPLY AKSHAY KUMAR TO RENOUNCE CANADIAN PASSPORT RAM CHARAN APPEARS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA A delegation of the BKU met the Chief Engineer, PSPCL, Jalandhar, to demand a steady power supply. P2 Akshay Kumar says the application for the cancellation of his Canadian passport is in process. P3 RRR fame Ram Charan was seen as the special guest on the talk show Good Morning America. P4 » » FORECAST CLEAR SKY MAX 27°C | MIN 10°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 10°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.18 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:52 AM » SATURDAY | 25 FEBRUARY 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF PANCHAYAT SECY OF SHAHKOT BOOKED Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked a panchayat secretary of the Shahkot block on the charge of criminal breach of trust. Investigating officer (IO) Lakhbir Singh said the accused has been identified as Balwindar Singh, a resident of Kohar Khurd village. The Shahkot block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) Piar Singh complained to the police that the accused panchayat secretary had destroyed the records of many villages. The IO said a case has been registered under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code in this regard. OC MAN BOOKED FOR KILLING YOUTH Phagwra: A man allegedly killed one of his own neighbours with sharp-edged weapons in Ganga Singh village near Behram on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Harjinder Singh. Palwinder Kaur, the mother of the victim, told the police that she was on her way to Haveli village with her son this morning when their neighour, Baljit Singh, started hurling abuses at them and attacked her son with a sharp-edged weapon. The victim was rushed to a private hospital in Phagwara where the doctors declared him brought dead. The police have registered a case in this regard. Notably, the accused already had some criminal cases registered against him, and had been out on bail. An old enmity could be cause of murder, the police said. OC MAN NABBED FOR HARASSING WIFE Phagwara: The Bilga police arrested Gurjit Singh, a resident of Umarpur Kalan village, in connection with a dowry harassment case. Mamta, a resident of Tehang village falling under the jurisdiction of the Phillaur police station, filed a complaint with the police that her husband had been harassing her by demanding dowry. The police said a case under Section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the suspect. OC CMO intervenes to get released land auction money of village Directs Water Resource Dept to do needful and report back Ashok Kaura Phagwara, February 24 Taking cognisance of Gag Dhagara village panchayat’s efforts for the past seven years to receive the contract-cumlease amount of its land auctioned by the Mining Department for extraction of minor minerals, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has directed the Water Resources Department to do the needful. The Secretary, CMO, has written to the Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department to take immediate action in the matter as per the government rules and report back at the earliest. Dilbag Singh, a social activist and resident of Baina Pur village, had sent to the CMO a news report on the non-receipt of the contractcum-lease money by the HC ORDERED IN FAVOUR OF GAG DHAGARA ■ Then Justice Surya Kant and Justice PB Bajanthri of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in their judgment on February 2, 2016, said the determination of the amount payable by a private contractor to Gag Dhagara village panchayat should be done within three months ■ They had directed the Mining Department to deduct the amount from the security deposit and release the panchayat’s share within a month. The sarpanch claimed that ~1,48,15,757 hadn’t been paid to the panchayat gram panchayat of the last village of Jalandhar district situated along the Sutlej. Village sarpanch Banat Kaur has said the former sarpanches had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2015 seeking directions to a private contractor to deposit the balance amount of the contract money with the panchayat. Then Justice Surya Kant and Justice PB Bajanthri, disposing of the petition, had said in their judgment on February 2, 2016, that the needful, including the determination of the amount payable by the private contractor, should be done within three months. It had directed the Mining Department to deduct the amount from the security deposit and release the gram panchayat’s share within a month. The sarpanch claimed that an amount of Rs 1,48,15,757 was deducted by the Mining Department from the security deposit of the contractor, but the gram panchayat still didn’t get anything. She said the New NRI body comes up; Sabha objects to it Jalandhar, February24 On the lines similar to the existing NRI Sabha, a new organisation, NRI Headquarter, Punjab, has come up with the same agenda of supporting NRIs in the police, administrative and legal matters. Sharing details, Jaswant Singh, who hails from Kapurthala and has worked in Germany, said, “We were not satisfied with the working of the NRI Sabha as it failed to perform its tasks well. The NRIs were feeling much hassled and were not able to get the required support. So we got a new body registered and have set up an office at Gujral Nagar here. We have our representatives in 10 countries, including the US, Canada, England, Germany, Russia and Greece.” On the issues which the NRI Headquarter would be taking up, he said: “We will help NRIs whose properties are being usurped. We will fight out against false cases being registered against the NRIs. We will prepare the details of NRIs who are presently behind bars and need legal gram panchayat, in its meeting held on November 19, 2002, had passed a resolution for recovering the pending amount from the Mining Department and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Nurmahal. It sent the resolution to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Phillaur, but still the panchayat was waiting for the release of the amount. The sarpanch said the Mining Department had auctioned village mining khud in 2013 which remained in operation till 2015. Nurmahal Block Development and Panchayat Officer Dhara Kakar said the District Mining Officer had told her that the amount would be released by the headquarters as it had auctioned the khud and deducted money from the contractor’s deposit. He has sent a report in this regard to senior officials. Last rites of gangster killed in encounter performed Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, February 24 The last rites of gangster Tejinder Singh, who was killed in an encounter on Wednesday, were held today amid tight security arrangements. His brother, who has been lodged in a Ferozepur jail for the past 10 years in connection with a case of drug NRIs address mediapersons in Jalandhar on Friday. MALKIAT SINGH WERE NOT GETTING THE REQUIRED SUPPORT ❝ The NRIs were feeling much hassled and were not able to get the required support. So we got a new body registered. We have our representatives in 10 countries, including the US, Canada, England, Germany, Russia and Greece. Jaswant Singh, KAPURTHALA RESIDENT ❞ support. We will also ready the details of the NRIs who have faced crimes. The issues like matrimonial disputes with NRI grooms or brides or youth getting hooked to drugs abroad would also be handled by our teams.” The members of the existing NRI Sabha have, however, felt that the move to set up a new NRI body was not correct. “We came back in 1996 and it was during the course of its evolvement that then Principal Secretary to the Punjab CM had ordered that ours was the only authorised NRI organisation”, said ex-president of NRI Sabha Jasvir S Gill. — TNS Students outside an examination centre in Jalandhar on Friday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH DEO: Not aware of reason why Class XII English exam put off Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 24 The Punjab School Education Board’s General English exam of the XII standard, which was slated to be held today, was postponed today after an intimation from the Education Department early this afternoon. While a paper leak is reportedly the cause of the postponement of the exam, the DEO and the district principals said no fromal intimation about the reason for the postponement of the exam was provided to them so far by the department. As many as 22,224 students are sitting the XIIth board exams, which began across 365 centres in Jalandhar from February 20. While the Punjabi, chemistry, philosophy, sociologly and music (vocal) exams have already been held, students were bracing up for the exam today. Gurinderjit Kaur, Principal, Nehru Garden Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar, said: “We received intimation from the DEO office this morning that the XIIth standard exam had been postponed after which all students were intimated. In my memory, it is very rare for a board exam to be postponed like this. But in the offcial communique from the department we haven’t been given the reason for the postponement. The future date at which the exam is being rescheduled will be Ex-Akali leader calls on Kejriwal BROTHER BROUGHT FROM FEROZEPUR JAIL FOR RITUALS peddling, was brought here by the police for performing the rituals. Teja was a minor when the first case of murder was registered against him, some police sources said. He belonged to Mehandpur, Balachaur. After Teja got bailed out in connection with his first case of murder, he went on to commit several more crimes. Cases pertaining to attempt to murder, drugs, theft and causing hurt to someone with dangerous weapons had been registered against him, the police added. intimated to us soon.” At the Nehru Garden school, over 350 students were to appear for the English exam to be held today. DEO (Secondary), Jalandhar, Gursharan Singh said, “We received intimation at 12.30 pm today from the Education Department that today’s exam was being postponed. It was promptly forwarded to all principals and students. We will soon be intimated of the new date of the exam. I am not aware of the causes of the potponement.” The formal communique from the PSEB said the exam was being postponed due to ‘Prshasnik’ (administrational) reasons. The board exams would continue until April 21. Ex-Akali leader Kamaljit Bhatia calls on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Jalandhar, February 24 Having quit the SAD and joined Aam Aadmi Party two days ago in Chandigarh, former senior deputy mayor of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation Kamaljit Bhatia on Friday met AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Bhatia met Kejriwal in Delhi along with Punjab AAP coincharge Sandeep Pathak and Gurdaspur Planning Board Chairman Jagroop Singh Sekhwan. Bhatia said Kejriwal asked him to strengthen the party in Punjab, particularly in Jalandhar. Bhatia has been four time councillor and two-time senior deputy mayor of Jalandhar. He had been lying low ever since he was denied Assembly ticket by SAD. — TNS House catches fire as Against plastic, city NGO protests at investors’ summit in Mohali LPG cylinder explodes WON'T REST UNTIL Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Phagwara, February 24 In a tragic incident, a house in Dhaleta village near Goraya today blew up after an LPG cylinder exploded in the kitchen. The owner, Jasbir Jassa, and his daughter rushed out of the house just before the cylinder exploded and the entire house was engulfed in flames. Jassa, who earns his daily bread by selling golgappas, said “The explosion was so strong that the roof gave way.” He also alleged that he had rushed to a police post and asked cops to call the fire brigade, but the cops told him that the fire brigade could not be contacted. The house in Dhaleta village near Goraya which caught fire. Jalandhar, February 24 While industrialists from across the state and beyond congregate at Mohali to discuss investment opportunities at the 5th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2023, a Jalandhar-based NGO is using the occasion to draw attention to the environment and the catastrophic impact of plastic. For the past two days, members of the AGAPP (Action Group Against Plastic Pollution) have been protesting outside the Indian School of Business, Mohali, to raise their voice against the non-implementation of the single-use plastic in the state. While single-use plastic was banned in 2016, NGO members are peeved that plastic is still “everywhere” and has rav- BAN IMPLEMENTED Action Against ❝ThePollutionGroupbeen Plastic has Members of the Action Group Against Plastic Pollution protest outside the venue of the investors’ summit in Mohali. aged the state environment. Members of the NGO who have been staying put to protest at the summit include Dr Navneet Bhullar, founder of the Jalandhar-based Apar NGO and AGAPP; activist c m y b Kiranjeet from Patiala; and Hari Om Jindal, a Ludhianabased advocate. They reach the site at 10.30 am and stand at the sidewalk with a dozen posters scattered around them reading — ‘plastic manufac- writing to CM Bhagwant Mann requesting a meeting since June 21, 2022… Punjab must totally ban the manufacture, stocking and distribution of all single-use plastic. We will not rest until that happens. ❞ Dr Navneet Bhullar, AGAPP FOUNDER ture is killing us’; ‘plastic is not just a litter issue, manufacturing petrochemicals for plastic is polluting air and oceans’, ‘ Plastic da nirmaan, maar reha insaan’; “plastic has no end of life, it is in my blood”. AGAPP was founded in 2020 with a singular aim to eliminate the use of single-use plastic. The NGO says in April 2016, Punjab banned the single-use plastic with an amendment to the Punjab Carry Bag Control Act. As a result of which plastic carry bags of all thicknesses are banned in state, in addition to “disposable” plastic utensils, forks and spoons. However, the use of all these items remains rampant and uncurbed. Nothing has changed even after the central ban on single-use plastic from July 1, 2022 onwards. Doctor by profession, AGAPP founder Dr Navneet Bhullar said, “We tried tying up with other NGOs and people who share the common cause with us to come along. Calls were made to several people. But in the end, only three people were willing. We decided to go ahead anyway. We believe it is imperative the state government act on the issue soon or it will be too late.” Since November 2021, AGAPP has held protests in (MC and PPCB) Ludhiana, (MC) Jalandhar, (PPCB) Patiala and (Dept of Local Bodies) Chandigarh as well as written to three CMs. AGAPP members have met the PPCB Chairman, the Municipal Commissioners of Ludhiana and Jalandhar. In October 2022, it met the Ludhiana DC who promised to summon a meeting of NGOs to plan implementation of the ban, but did not. AGAPP activist Dr Ashima Shourie says: “Except a few stores, everyone continues to give plastic carry bags. It gives us nightmares.”