11032023-LT-01.qxd 3/11/2023 12:33 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune CBI RAIDS: FARMERS TO HOLD PROTESTS ON MARCH 13 SAMEER JHANTORA READY TO EMBARK ON NEW JOURNEY As a participant of the reality show, Kumite 1- Warrior Hunt, Jhantora left an impact on host Suniel Shetty. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 15°C KAMAL HAASAN’S PIC FROM SETS OF INDIAN 2 GOES VIRAL Terming the action as ‘anti-farmer’, BKU leaders said memoranda will be submitted to DCs. P2 FORECAST A picture of actor Kamal Haasan from the sets of much anticipated film Indian 2 has gone viral. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 6.31 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:41 AM » SATURDAY | 11 MARCH 2023 | LUDHIANA Boost to major infra projects in city 80K yet to pay property tax Nod to ~460 cr for 24x7 water supply, new horticulture estates at ~40 cr, urban estate over 1,600 acres LEADERSPEAK has ❝Our governmentfor presented a Budget Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 10 The city has bagged a big deal in the state Budget with a much-needed boost to major ongoing and new projects conceived to benefit residents of Ludhiana. The ongoing 24x7 canal water supply project to quench the thirst of local residents, new horticulture estate, urban estate over 1,600 acres of land, and an automotive testing in Ludhiana have got allocation in the Punjab Budget for 202324 presented to Vidhan Sabha by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema in Chandigarh on Friday. Unlike previous years, the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, has not got any allocation for the industry, agriculture, animal husbandry, health, investment promotion, sports and youth services sectors in the Budget estimates for the next fiscal 2023-24. An allocation of Rs 460 government ❝The AAPanother fraud has played the welfare of aam aadmi with Punjabis by fudging (common man) with no figures to paint a rosy provision of any new tax picture in the Budget but and giving top priority to all core sectors, was actually leading the state to financial especially health, education, agriculture, ruin by increasing debt and performing employment, industry and trade. poorly on all parameters. ❞ ❞ – Sanjeev Arora, RAJYA SABHA AAP MP – Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD PRESIDENT ❝The AamisAadmi Party government today is ❝The Budgetand disappointing completely exposed by disillusioning, which is not its own admission and showing any new avenues revelations made in the of revenue. Steps were Budget, which has proved to be a harsh needed to address ever-worsening financial reality check for the government in crisis in the state but unfortunately it lacks any which it has miserably failed. concrete roadmap for reviving dwindling state – Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, PUNJAB CONGRESS PRESIDENT economy. – Jaiveer Shergill, BJP NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON ❞ crore was made to undertake the ongoing canalbased water supply project, costing Rs 1,242-crore, excluding operation and maintenance for 10 years, during the next financial year. The project was being undertaken by the state government with the help of the World Bank. The allocation will also fund the similar project in Amritsar as well. ❞ Under the ambitious project, surface-based potable water will be made available to the industrial hub of the state, which is currently groping with the problem of rapidly depleting groundwater level. Ludhiana, also known as the Manchester of India, and Amritsar were among the two cities that had got the World Bank-funded canal-based water supply project in the state during 2021. “A new World Bank report estimates that India will need to invest $840 billion over the next 15 years into urban infrastructure if it is to effectively meet needs of the fast growing urban population. Realising this reality, our government is focusing on urban development and strengthening of local bod- c m y b ies. A budgetary outlay of Rs 6,596 crore is proposed in financial year 2023-24 for Local Government and Urban Development,” the Finance Minister said. He announced that of this, Rs 1,149 crore was proposed to be provided under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Rs 425 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Further, a provision of Rs 460 crore for surface water supply Ludhiana and Amritsar, Rs 412 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Rs 250 crore for the Punjab Municipal Development Fund and an initial allocation of Rs 5 crore for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Amritsar was proposed in the next fiscal. To promote the area under fruit and vegetable crops in their natural growing regions, the state government announced to set up five new horticulture estates. The estates would be located in Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Bathinda and Faridkot. “I propose an allocation of Rs 40 crore in the financial year 2023-24 for the purpose,” Cheema said. continued on page 2 Pay dues by March 31 to avoid extra penalty, residents told Ludhiana, March 10 The civic body authorities have made an appeal to residents to pay property tax (2022-23) by March 31 to avoid an additional 10 per cent penalty and 18 per cent interest on delayed payment. As per information, over 80,000 building owners are yet to pay property tax for the current year (2022-23) and they will have to pay 20 per cent penalty and 18 per cent interest on payment of tax after March 31. The MC is imposing a 10 per cent penalty on payment of property tax (2022-23) from 10% PENALTY TILL MAR 31 The Municipal Corporation is imposing a 10 per cent penalty on payment of property tax (2022-23) from January 1 to March 31. January 1 to March 31. Thereafter, 20 per cent penalty and 18 per cent annual interest would be imposed, if the residents fail to pay tax for the current year by March 31. Offices open on holidays Besides weekdays, the civic body has decided to keep suvidha kendras in all four zonal offices open during working hours on Saturdays (March 11, 18 and 25), Sundays (March 19 and 26) and government holidays (March 23 and March 30) of the month. The decision has been taken to facilitate the residents in submitting the property tax returns. MC Commissioner Shena Aggarwal said besides making payment of tax in the MC zonal suvidha kendras, the residents could also submit tax online at — mcludhiana.gov.in. — TNS US-based kabaddi promoter dies in road mishap Conman dupes city Cong leader of ~6,920 Ludhiana, March 10 A USA-based kabaddi promoter, Jasdev Singh, alias Gola (50), died in a road mishap near Machhiwara on Thursday night. His Toyota Innova vehicle had a head-on collision with a truck. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. He was heading towards Jhar Sahib from the Garhi bridge when he met with the continued on page 2 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 10 A conman duped city-based Congress leader Parminder Mehta of Rs 6,920 by issuing him fake tickets of helicopter for visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at J&K. Mehta lodged a police complaint in this regard. Mehta said on March 3, he searched on Google to book helicopter tickets and on find- ing a website similar to the name of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, he filled a form with his particulars. The next day, he got a call from a mobile number and the caller after confirming two tickets, took Rs 6,920 from him through Google Pay, a mobile payment service. The suspect even sent him the tickets on WhatsApp. “After I deposited the money, the caller again called and continued on page 2