28022023-JTR-01.qxd 2/27/2023 11:34 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MUKERIAN MILL HAS HIGHEST DUES TOWARDS FARMERS RANBIR KAPOOR DENIES HE IS IN GANGULY’S BIOPIC AP ARJUN’S MARTIN IS ALL SET TO HIT THE BIG SCREEN Mukerian sugar mill which has the highest outstanding dues towards the farmers in this season. P2 Ranbir was spotted playing cricket with Ganguly, giving birth to rumours that he was doing the biopic. P3 The high-octane film is all set to release in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. P4 » GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 27°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 13°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.20 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6.49 AM » » FORECAST TUESDAY | 28 FEBRUARY 2023 | JALANDHAR sewer irks commuters at Ikhari Puli Sharp rise in dog bite Overflowingalso common in the area in the absence of streetlights Snatching incidents cases;300 a month! Tribune News Service Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 27 Over 300 dog bite cases are being reported in Jalandhar every month. The daily number of dog bite cases has seen a sharp rise in the past six to seven months. While the dog bite cases had come down to 20 to 25 a day some months ago, a whopping 35 to 40 cases are now reported daily lately as per the data by the Health Department. More than 40 cases of dog bite were reported in Jalandhar on Monday. There are certain localities where residents say they dread stepping out in the night. While the issue has been raised countless times by residents, councillors and victims of dog bites, there is no let up to stay dog menace in the city. Since 2017, when the much-delayed dog sterlisation project formally took off in the district with the inauguration of the Nangal Shama dog compound (in November 2017) a total of 27,924 dogs have been sterlised in the district since then. Interestingly, the number of stray dogs in Jalandhar remains put at 40,000 for the past several years, even though activists raise concerns that the figure must be Covid-hit sterilisation project to be back on track soon, say officials CIVIC BODY LAX IN TAKING ACTION STERILISATIONS 462 The population of stray dogs in the city was 40,000 1,751 then. It has risen now, and 11,453 with it the dog bite cases 5,880 too. Since we submitted a 3,814 memorandum to MC two 3,907 years ago, there has been no decisive action yet. 657* 27,924 CANINES STERILISED YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 ❝ *SO FAR much higher now. Additionally, while the dog sterilisation in the district saw a steep rise in 2019 (with 11,453 cases), it has come down since then. Officials said the Covid pandemic also hit the sterilisation project in Jalandhar. The extent of the stray dog problem can be gauged from Sushil Sharma, BJP LEADER ❞ the tales of delivery persons traversing the streets. They say there are certain localities everyone dreads to visit during the night. Jyoti Dhamija, a delivery person, in Jalandhar says, “I have myself been chased by a pack of dogs last night. There Continued on page 2 Jalandhar, February27 The issue of choked sewer at Ikhari Puli in the city has been left unaddressed for the past many years even after repeated complaints by residents. The continuous overflow of sewage is not only giving commuters a nightmarish experience but has also damaged the road leading to residential localities in the area. Residents said the underpass is inundated with dirty water and had become a potential danger for motorists. They said many vehicles break down while passing through the stretch as sewage enters the engines and commuters have to seek help from passers-by or shopkeepers to pull their vehicles out of the potholes. According to nearby shopkeepers, the underpass, i.e., Ikhari Puli, which always remains filled with filthy water, has been repaired several times. However, the situation remains the same, exposing the lackadaisical attitude of civic authorities. Residents and shopkeepers also complained that the overflowing sewage also leads to the breeding of mosquitoes and other insects. The unbearable stench emanating from the road has also made their INBRIEF Phagwara: A 43-year-old man died after his two-wheeler collided with stray cattle. ASI Ashwani Kumar, who is posted at the Bilga police station, said the deceased has been identified as Davindar Singh, a resident of Jandiala Manji village. Kulwindar Kaur, the wife of the deceased, told the police that her husband was on his way back home on a motorcycle when he collided with some stray cattle and died on the spot. The IO said the police have registered a case and have handed over the body to the family after post-mortem. OC 2 PEDDLERS HELD WITH 600 TABLETS Phagwara: The police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 660 intoxicant tablets from their possession last night. In the first case, the police arrested a drug peddler identified as Balwinder Singh, a resident of Hamira and recovered 450 intoxicant tablets from his possession. The accused was nabbed at a checkpoint near village Miherru. OC that they had tried to get the issue addressed several times, but to no avail. “As the councillors’ tenure has also completed, we now do not have a representative to approach for the work. If we visit the MC office, the officials hardly pay heed to our problem,” Amarjeet added. Another resident, Shivani, said the sewage accumulated in the area was also leading to several problems for residents, especially pedestrians, who are forced to walk through the polluted water. Besides, there are no streetlights here, and miscreants often take advantage of this and many snatching incidents have also been reported. MC officials said they would send the officer concerned to get the problem checked and claimed it would be resolved soon. ❝ FORCED TO TAKE LONGER ROUTE The underpass is a shortcut to reach Mai Hiran Gate. However, due to the overflowing sewers, residents of nearby areas are forced to take a longer route from the Damoria bridge side. ❞ Amarjeet Singh, LOCAL RESIDENT The Jalandhar rural police with the seized drugs on the premises of a mill in Mehatpur on Monday. Seized drugs destroyed in Nakodar Nakodar, February 27 The Jalandhar (rural) police on Monday destroyed drugs seized under the NDPS Act by various police stations in Mehatpur near Nakodar. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swarandeep Singh, in a press release, said the drugs seized in cases under the NDPS Act were destroyed in a fire on the premises of PK Paper and Board Mill, Mehatpur. He said the destroyed drugs included 2,929 kilograms and 415 grams of poppy husk, 1 kilogram and 849 grams of intoxicating powder, 15 kilograms and 541 grams of heroin, 100 grams of ICE, one kilogram and 440 grams of charas, 10 kilograms and 380 grams of ganja, eight Three booked for duping Shahkot man of ~13.75L Phagwara, February 27 The Shahkot police have booked three travel agents, including a couple, for allegedly duping a Shahkot resident of Rs 13.75 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad. Shahkot Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gurpreet Singh, who is the investigating officer (IO) in the case, said the accused have been identified as Niraj Attar, a resident of Baba Banda Bahadar Nagar, Ludhiana, and his wife Rajni Bala and Gurcharan Singh, a resident of Mohalla Bagh Wala, Shahkot. A resident of Mohalla Gobind Nagar, Shahkot, had complained to the police that he had paid Rs 13.75 lakh to the accused for facilitating his migration to Canada, but he was not sent abroad and nor did he return his money. The IO said a case has been registered under Sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the IPC and Section 13 of the Travel Professions Regulation Act after an inquiry. — TNS grams of smack, 184 intoxicating injections, 30,821 intoxicating tablets, 868 intoxicating capsules, and two syringes and 79 needles. The press note said the drug disposal committee of Jalandhar (rural) chairman and SSP Swarandeep Singh, SP(D) Sarabjit Singh Bahia, and Jawindar Singh Chahal DSP (D) were present on the occasion. Three car-borne miscreants open fire at two men Our Correspondent Our Correspondent MAN COLLIDES WITH STRAY CATTLE, DIES lives miserable, they added. Amarjeet Singh, a resident, said due to the apathy of the civic authorities, the filthy water had been overflowing for the past many days. “For the residents of the nearby areas, the underpass is a shortcut to reach Mai Hiran Gate. However, due to its poor condition, they have to take a longer route from the Damoria bridge side,” he said, adding Sixteen booked for assaulting Nakodar youth MAN ATTACKED WITH SHARP WEAPONS Phagwara: Three unidentified masked and armed motorcycleborne assailants attacked and seriously wounded a member of Hargobindgarh village panchayat on Sunday. The injured Davinder Pal, a member of Jagpalpur village panchayat, was coming to Phagwara in his Bolero (PB08DS-3443) when the accused stopped their bike and pulled out Davinder Pal from the car. He was attacked with sharp-edged weapons and dumped on the roadside in an unconscious condition. The accused took away his gold chain and cash worth Rs 11,000. The injured was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The police have registered a case under Section 323, 341, 506 and 34 of IPC and are investigating the matter. OC Commuters wade through an underpass inundated with sewage at Ikhari Puli in Jalandhar on Monday. SARABJIT SINGH Tribune News Service Phagwara, February 27 The Nakodar city police have booked sixteen persons on the charge of assaulting a youth. Investigating officer Rannjit Singh said the main accused had been identified as Harnoor Singh, a resident of Nakodar. Seven others who aided Harnoor in carrying out the assault have also been identified. However, eight accused have not been identified yet, the IO added. Karandeep Singh, a resident of Nawan Pind Shaunkian village complained to the police that Harnoor had asked him to reach a particular spot for a discussion on February 20, but Harnoor and his accomplices assaulted him, leaving him injured. The IO said a case has been registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt, 324, 341 (wrongful restraint), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code in this regard. Nawanshahr, February 27 Three car-borne miscreants opened fire at two men today on the Garhshankar road in Nawanshahr. The incident was reported in the evening on Monday. The victims have been identified as Gurvinder Singh of Mubarakpur village and Mandeep Singh of Amargarh village. The miscreants abandoned the car after committing the crime. ADGP MF Farooqui at the Rama Mandi police station in Jalandhar. Show zero tolerance to hooliganism, cops told justice to people at the earliest. He asked the cops to keep a close eye on the miscreants in their beats and to ensure that the law-and-order situation is maintained in the city. He also asked them to meet the general public living in the areas they were posted, so that the residents, in case of an emergency, can reach out for help. The ADGP appealed to the cops to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for hooliganism and corruption. — TNS Jalandhar, February 27 ADGP (PAP) MF Farooqui, Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal and DCP (Headquarters) Vatsala Gupta today visited the Rama Mandi police station and held a meeting with SHO Navdeep Singh and other cops posted there. The goal of the meeting was to address the problems faced by police officers. ADGP Farooqui asked the officials to clear the pendency of cases, and deliver The victims told the police that there was a personal enmity with the suspects. SP (Investigation) Dr Mukesh reached the spot and said the claims of victims were being verified. “We will register an FIR once we have recorded their statement,” he said. No stopping this ambitious 67-yr-old athlete from Goraya Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 27 “Mera target international level te khedna hai, jado takk main international nahee khedni, ohdo takk koi break nai laini, (I want to play at the international level, and I won’t take any break until I achieve my goal),” says an ambitious 67 years old Balwinder Singh, who remained a Sepoy in the Army from 1973-1980. Singh recently won two medals at the National Masters Athletic Championship that was held in Kurukshetra c m y b Practises hard for four hours daily, says thankful to wife for keeping him fit GOING STRONG ❝ I want to play at the international level, and I won’t stop until I achieve my goal. ■ Balwinder Singh, who remained a Sepoy in the Army from 1973-1980, recently won two medals at the National Masters Athletic Championship that was held in Kurukshetra from February 16-19 ■ The 67-year-old Armyman won two bronze medals in 100-m race and long jump events. He has now his eyes set on another national tournament in Bangalore ❞ from February 16-19. He won two bronze medals in 100-m race and long jump events. Singh, who belongs to Moron village in Goraya and now lives in Phagwara, is so passionate for sports that he practices really hard for hours on a daily basis. Now the athlete will be participating in another national level tournament in Bangalore for which he will be leaving on March 24. During the conversation with The Tribune, Singh specially mentioned Guru Arjan Dev Kabaddi Academy Bilga. “The club sponsors me whenever I go to play any sport,” he says. His sons and daughters are settled abroad while Singh lives with his wife here. “She takes care of my diet properly. It’s only because of her support and my parents blessings that I have reached here,” he shares.