29042023-JTR-01.qxd 4/29/2023 12:12 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune AAP GOVT MISMANAGING BHOGPUR SUGAR MILL: CAPT TRUTH ALWAYS WINS: SOORAJ AFTER BEING ACQUITTED ACTOR ARJIT TANEJA TO JOIN KHATRON KE KHILADI 13 Ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh slammed the government for “mismanaging the Bhogpur sugar mill”. P2 After being acquitted in Jia Khan’s suicide case, Sooraj Pancholi posted this note with folded hands. P3 Joining the long list of celebrity contestants on the stunt-based show Khatron Ke Khiladi is Arjit Taneja. P4 » » » FORECAST MOSTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.58 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5:41 AM SATURDAY | 29 APRIL 2023 | JALANDHAR After CM’s promise on hiring, unions put strike plan on hold Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Asha workers protest over the non-fulfilment for their long-pending demands in Jalandhar on Friday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Asha workers demand salary hike Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 On a call given by the Democratic Asha Workers’ Facilitator Union, Punjab, Asha workers from every district gathered here at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall and started a rally against the AAP government. They also held a ‘rosh INBRIEF MAN HELD FOR SELLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a man on the charge of selling illicit country-made liquor. Investigating officer Harjindar Singh said 90 bottles of hooch were seized from the possession of the accused, who has been identified as Ajaib Singh of Amritsar district. A case has been registered under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Punjab Excise Act and Rs 3,400 has been seized from his possession. His two-wheeler has also been impounded. His accomplice managed to flee the spot. OC PEDDLER NABBED WITH 1,117 PILLS Phagwara: The Nakodar city police have arrested a drug peddler from whose possession 1,117 intoxicant tablets were recovered. The accused has been identified as Sumit Arora, son of Balraj, a resident of Mohalla Rishi Nagar, Nakodar. The IO said that a case under Section 22(b), 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. OC WOMAN HELD FOR SMUGGLING LIQUOR Phagwara: The Nakodar Sadar police arrested a woman on the charge of smuggling liquor. Investigating Officer Kulwinder Singh said 18 bottles of liquor were seized from the possession of the accused, identified as Mandeep Kaur, wife of Karnail Singh, a resident of Bajuha Khurd village. A case under Section 61, 1 and 14 of the Punjab Excise Act was registered against the accused. OC MAN BOOKED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT Phagwara: The Lohian Khas police have booked a villager on the charge of outraging a woman’s modesty. Investigating officer (IO) Iqbal Singh said a woman of Kakkar Kalan village had complained to the police that the accused, Sukhwindar Singh, who is her brother-in-law — barged into her house on the evening of April 23. The accused was said to be in an inebriated condition and he allegedly used filthy language. OC march’ to express their anger against the government. Union president Mandeep Kaur Bilga said before coming to power, AAP had made a lot of promises But it had done nothing after coming to power. Asha workers were still suffering the way they were earlier. Workers have been asking the government to give a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 along with good increments and other benefits. “We are helpless and left with no other option but to come to the streets. It is not the first time that we have raised this issue. The problem is no one listens to us,” the enraged member said. AAP MLA from Jalandhar Central Raman Arora also reached the spot to pacify the protesters. The members told him how even the present government was ignoring the demands, to which MLA said that he would fix a meeting between the union members and party high command. JALANDHAR, April 28 Several unions, comprising Class IV employees, have decided to put the strike on hold for now after getting assurance from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday that Class IV employees will be recruited soon. But the decision to hold the strike has come with a warning that the elections to municipal corportations are also due this year, and if their demands are not met by then, they will proceed on strike. Representatives from the Driver and Technical Worker Union, Sanitary Supervisor Employees’ Union, Rashtriya Safai Karamchari Sangathan, Sewermen Employees Union, Safai Mazdoor Union, Municipal Karamchari Dal, etc., met the Chief Minister today. After the meeting with the Chief Minister, union members said Mann was also serious about the issue. Representatives of various employees present their charter of demands to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO WARDS HAVE INCREASED, STAFF SAME Mann no employee has ❝We told CMhere in thatcity Class IVpast many years. been recruited the for the In all these years, the number of wards has increased to 85, but not even a single recruitment has been made. It is not easy to clean the entire city with a handful of employees . Bantu Sabharwal, SANITARY SUPERVISOR EMPLOYEES’ UNION CHIEF ❞ “We told Mann that no Class IV employee has been recruited here in the city for the past many years. In all these years, the number of wards has increased to 85 still not even a single recruitment has been made. It is not easy to maintain and clean the entire city with a handful of employees,” said Bantu Sabharwal, the President of the Sanitary Supervisor Employees’ Union. The union members apprised the CM of the agenda to recruit the employees that was already passed in the General House meeting that was held in January, but the government did not respond to it. Bantu further said after the Chief Minister promised that this issue would be resolved at the earliest, the unions have now decided to put off the strike and wait. “But it doesn’t mean that we will believe everything. If after the elections no step is taken in this regard, we will not sit quietly. The elections to municipal corportations are also due, we will not believe them again,” he said. Nawanshahr district outshines Jalandhar in PSEB Class VIII exams Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) announced Class VIII results on Friday. The board released a merit list of top 13 positions. There are 356 students on the merit list. Nawanshahr's students managed to attain position in top five. More than 10 students from the district have their names on the list. Tanveer Kaur Bains from Nawanshahr has the bagged third position in state by bagging 597 marks out of 600. The girl is from St Soldier Public Senior Secondary School, Kulam. Sneha, a student of Swami Rupchand Jain Model Sr Sec School, Banga bagged 5th position by scoring 595 marks. From Jalandhar, not even a single student could make it to top five. Divya from Phillaur has stood first in district and appeared sev- TWO NAWANSHAHR STUDENTS IN TOP FIVE, NONE FROM JALANDHAR Khushi Suri (591/600) Ragni (590/600) Karmanjot Kaur (590/600) enth on the merit list. She is from Baba Brahm Das Public High School. Divya got 98.83 per cent. Strangely, no student from Kapurthala could make it to top nine positions. In Jalandhar, New St Soldier Senior Secondary Public School and Guru Teg AAP more disciplined, organised than my previous party, says Rinku JALANDHAR LOK SABHA BYPOLL Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 28 A bevy of blue and yellow AAP flags marks the entrance and approach to AAP leader Sushil Kumar Rinku’s office near Babrik Chowk in the heavily contested Jalandhar West constituency in the city. At 10 am, the former councillor and MLA’s home — who is now contesting the Jalandhar seat for the upcoming Jalandhar bypoll — bears the traffic of a sarkari office in peak afternoon. Petitioners and public wait in a courtyard with their files and grievances and at least three autos with loudspeakers are parked outside — one noisily seeks votes for the AAP Cops . surface two streets ahead of his office and at least 15 to 16 are stationed at the office premises. Preparing for a busy day of campaigning, he has at least 16 to 17 meetings lined up for the day. Many of them have been delegated to the local MLAs and his wife to enable the party to cover all bases. While Rinku stepped into the AAP in what was termed as a ‘late’ and ‘outsider’ entry, days ahead of polls, the party campaign is currently at its peak. As The Tribune caught up with him for a conversation, the leader claims his ideology has changed. AAP candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku in Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH IN CONG, EVERYONE HAD ITS OWN IDEOLOGY is much discipline. ❝In AAP, therevery disciplined. TheThe party cadre and structure is senior leaders indulge in planning. The co-ordination here is better. In my former party, every Congress leader had their own ways. They tried to run the Congress with their own ideology. Sushil Kumar Rinku, LOK SABHA BYELECTION CANDIDATE ❞ On his campaign progress, Rinku says, “The way road shows are happening, they are getting a resounding response.” Speaking on his belated and sudden entry into AAP ahead of the poll, Rinku says, “I made the shift because I believe, the only alternative to PM Modi in the country is Arvind Kejriwal. The speed with which the AAP ideology has spread and the party has gone on the become a national party, attracted me. The coun- try needs a secular party, with various castes and religions and for minorities to feel safe.” On the differences between the Congress (his former party) and the AAP Rinku says, , “It’s a big change. In AAP , there is much discipline. The party cadre and structure is very disciplined. The senior leaders indulge in planning. The co-ordination here is better. In my former party, every Congress leader had their own ways.” c m y b On the Amritpal issue, he says: “Law and order in the state has been strenghthened. There is no law breach, no untoward incdent. Punjab has come safely out of it.” Reacting to too many leaders congregating too soon in the Jalandhar West constituency within AAP Rinku , says, “I have served as the MC for a long time. I have a very big circle in the constituency, and I have never indulged in dirty politics.” On the infighting with his long time rival Sheetal Angural being MLA of the Jalandhar West constituency, Rinku says, “I don’t see any such fight. People are working hard. The AAP monitoring cell monitors everything minutely. They will settle this at their level. This is a party of principles — it won’t allow such things. Everything is going on smoothly. My family is attending meetings with MLA Sahib (Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural) together. There is no clash or rift.” Who is his strongest contender on the Jalandhar seat? “We are the strongest,” says Rinku. His key agenda are addressing the traffic problem and getting the smart city works done, including in my area (the 120-feet road is beset with infrastructural shortfalls including turning into a puddle in rains). The construction of roads and flyovers. The resumption of flights at the Adampur Airport is also on his mind. Bahadur Nagar secured two merit positions. Khushi Suri obtained 591 marks out of 600, getting 98.5 per cent. Ragni secured obtained 590 marks. A student of Amar Shaheed Lala Jagat Narain Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Nehru Gar- den, Karmanjot Kaur obtained 590 marks. Her father Kamaldeep Singh is an Aam Aadmi Party leader. He leads the Parents’ Association in Jalandhar while his wife Upkar Kaur is an immigration consultant. Upkar said she was yet to get the break up of the marks of her daughter, who wants to become a judicial officer. Karmanjot’s school principal Gurinderjit Kaur congratulated her on the achievement.