02052023-JTR-01.qxd 02-05-2023 00:15 Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune VAJRA CORPS CELEBRATES 85TH ARMOURED CORPS DAY ARYAN TO MAKE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH SHOW STARDOM The six-episode series is produced by Aryan Khan’s home production Red Chillies Entertainment. P3 THUNDERSHOWERS MAX 25°C | MIN 20°C YESTERDAY MAX 31°C | MIN 20°C THE MORNING SHOW RENEWED FOR SEASON FOUR AT APPLE TV+ Serving and retired Army officers lay wreath at Vajra Shaurya Sthal to pay homage to the martyrs. P2 FORECAST Apple is in talks with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon to extend their contracts with the series. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 7:00 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:39 AM » TUESDAY | 2 MAY 2023 | JALANDHAR Anganwadi workers hold a sit-in on the Bus Stand road and members of the B.Ed TET Unemployed Teachers’ Union raise anti-government slogans in Jalandhar on Monday. PHOTOS: MALKIAT SINGH & SARABJIT SINGH On Labour Day, protests bring city to a halt Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 1 Announcing a holiday on Labour Day today proved to be counter-productive for the government. The employees of various departments from across the state gathered in the city ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll and protested against the government. The National Health Mission Employees’ Union, B.Ed TET Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union, ASHA workers and anganwadi workers lodged their protests at BMC Chowk, near Company Bagh Chowk, bus stand and Ladowali Road. The employees unions even got pamphlets printed and handed these over to every passerby, asking them to vote against the government. The protests also led to much chaos on the city roads which INBRIEF THREE BOOKED FOR POISONING YOUTH Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked three persons on the charge of killing a youth by giving him poison. Investigating Officer (IO) Salinder Singh said Balwindar Singh, a resident of Nihaluwal village in Lohian Khas, had complained to the police against Buta Ram, a resident of Meinwal Araiyan village, Joga, a resident of Sokhe Wal, and Shubash, a resident of Saliachan village. He alleged the accused assaulted his brother-inlaw Gursharan Preet, a resident of Meiwal Arianyan village on April 28 and forcibly administrated poison to him, which killed him on Sunday. The IO said raids are being conducted to nab the absconding accused. OC CASH STOLEN FROM GURDWARA Phagwara: The Bilga police have booked unidentified persons on the charge of stealing cash from gurdwara. Sarbann Singh, a resident of Partab Pura village, complained to the police that thieves barged into Gurdwara Shri Baba Sain Bhagat on April 29 night and stole cash from the box. Investigating Officer Anwar Masih said the investigation was on. OC WOMAN HELD WITH HEROIN Phagwara: The Mehatpur police have arrested a woman on the charge of selling heroin. Investigating officer Jaspal said 4 gram of contraband was recovered from Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Gounsu Wal village. OC Several main intersections and roads in Jalandhar were blocked owing to the protests by several unions. CHAOS ON CITY ROADS Asha workers hold a protest in front of the DC office in Jalandhar; and National Health Mission Employees’ Union members raise slogans in Jalandhar on Monday. the local traffic police found extremely difficult to handle. While former SAD chief Bikram Majithia sat in the dharna with the staff of the NHM, Congress candidate Karamjit Chaudhary came in support of ASHA workers. Both the SAD and Congress leaders offered full support to the employees over their demands. The members of the B.Ed TET Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union gathered near an overhead water tank of the bus stand. The union led by Amandeep Sekha said the AAP had made all sorts of promises to them before 2022 Assembly polls but fulfilled none. “We have been demanding considering social sciences as a subject for filling the posts of lecturers and filling master cadre posts in bulk but the government is not accepting these”, he said. ‘BJP fighting on party symbol for first time, ready to script history’ JALANDHAR LOK SABHA BYPOLL Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 1 BJP leader Inder Iqbal Atwal was declared the party’s bypoll candidate after nomination filing process started on the Jalandhar seat. The last candidate (from a major party) to be declared on the seat, Atwal has had a little time to transition into a BJP leader. Atwal says he is confident of a turnaround by the BJP in this bypoll. Having been the youngest SAD MLA (from KoomKalan) in 2002, Atwal, who lost two polls (2007 and 2017), has pegged hopes for a victory on his fourth poll outing - this time as an MP Son of veteran (for. mer) Akali leader Charanjit Singh Atwal, he claims the Amritpal issue would have no adverse bearing for the BJP in these poll. He also says the work has begun to reclaim the BJP’s rural base. Speaking on the prospects of the BJP in the Jalandhar bypoll, Atwal said,” The BJP is working very well in the elections. It is the very first time the party is contesting parliamentary elections on its own symbol. But this first time will script a new history. People are giving love and support to the BJP The . respect we are getting in villages is beyond expectations.” On support by the Lok Insaaf Party leaders Bains SAD MOTHER PARTY, CAN’T CONDEMN IT ❝It (SAD) is my maa (mother) party. Maa nu banda maara nahi aakh sakda (a person can’t condemn his mother)… I’ve worked with Parkash Singh Badal very closely. I’ve felt the warmth of his embrace. We had a dada-pota relationship. In 2002, I was the youngest MLA and his favourite. Inder Iqbal Atwal, BJP LOK SABHA BYELECTION CANDIDATE ❞ brothers and if they will leave a mark on Doaba, Atwal said,”They also have considerable resonance in Doaba. See their record, their vote share in the region is sizeable and respectable. I also belong to Ludhiana and Bains bothers are respected across party lines. We are good friends. We worked together in the Youth Akali Dal for a long time. Senior Bains (Balwinder Bains) is also a very respectable personality. Not just in Ludhiana, in other districts also.” On AAP’s welfare schemes to counter the central schemes, Atwal said, “The welfare schemes of Prime Minister Modi have already been implemented. The budget for them is allocated. Other states have already implemented them. But why has the party of the ‘Khaas Aadmi’ not implemented schemes in Punjab is a big question. It is the responsibility of the state government to implement all Centre-sponsored schemes. The main thing is all such schemes are headed by Member of Parliament. Why did the previous MP didnt c m y b study them, why didn’t he raise issues if he was facing problems?” Speaking on the presence of 2008 drug case accused Purshottam Sondhi’s presence at his joining and allegations that he was Atwal’s old associate, Atwal said, “He is not my old associate. They were the old party workers. A lot of people attended that programme in Delhi. We don’t have a device to check what this person’s record was 20 years ago. I don’t need to give a justification because the people know my family very well.” On his transition from the SAD to BJP he said, “It has , been a smooth transition. I didn’t decide that I will contest the elections when I joined the BJP Within a few . days the party decided my candidature. I feel honoured.” Speaking on Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal, and the bond he shared with him, Atwal said, “I always say I have come with my old and sweet memories. It (SAD) was my maa (mother) party. Maa nu banda maara nahi aakh sakda (a person can’t condemn his mother). If I’ve joined a new party, I can’t condemn the old. That party gave political birth to me. It nutured me, made me grow, and made me capable to take my own decision. I’ve worked with Parkash Singh Badal very closely. I’ve felt the warmth of his embrace. Continued on page 2 Led by Dr Wahid Mohammad, the doctors working under NHM said that they have been long demanding regularisation of their posts but to no avail. Continued on page 2 ■ Members of the National Health Mission Employees’ Union, B.Ed TET Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union and ASHA and anganwadi workers lodged their protests at BMC Chowk, near Company Bagh Chowk, bus stand and Ladowali Road ■ The employees unions even got pamphlets printed and handed these over to every passerby, asking them to vote against the government. The protests also led to much chaos on the city roads which the local traffic police found extremely difficult to handle Govt empowering labourers: Minister Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, May 1 On Labour Day, Cabinet Minister Bram Shankar Jimpa reached the local labour adda and distributed sweets and lunch boxes among them. He said special efforts were being made by the Punjab Government for social and economic empowerment of labourers through various welfare schemes. He said the state government was working for the interests of the working class and no stone would be left unturned in the interest of the workers of the region. During this, the martyred labourers of Chicago were remembered by observing silence for two minutes. Bram Shankar Jimpa HIGHLIGHTS VARIOUS WELFARE SCHEMES He also told the present workers about the schemes run by the government in their interest. He said: “We salute the hardworking people because the working class has a huge contribution in the progress of the country and the society.” Timings of service centres unchanged Our correspondent Phagwara, May 1 Even though the new office timings for all state government offices will come into force from Tuesday , there has been no change in the timings of ‘service centres. As per the fresh orders issued by the government, all service centres will work as usual from 9 am to 5 pm while as per the new timings, all the state government offices would operate from 7.30 am to 2 pm. The new timings will be in effect from May 2 to July 15, during the summer season. According to these orders, the new office timings will help save electricity and give visitors to government offices some respite from the summer heat. All dumps to be cleared daily by afternoon; officials told to visit sites Jalandhar, May 1 With a view to giving a fillip to its cleanliness campaign, officials of the Municipal Corporation today spent their day in the field to further expedite lifting of garbage from 24 dumps earmarked in the city areas. MC Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish directed officials to make random field visits to inspect the lifting process besides ensuring that all dumps within city should be cleared daily before 1 pm. All requisite machinery for cleaning and lifting of garbage had already been provided, said Timely clearance of garbage will facilitate hygienic surroundings. Kaplish adding that more vehicles and JCBs would also be given, where needed. Additional Commissioner Shikha Bhagat, who was supervising this entire process, said she along with superintendents, sanitation staff visited all dump sites to oversee the lifting, said Bhagat. — TNS