26052023-JTR-01.qxd 5/25/2023 11:54 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune IMPLEMENT PUBLIC WELFARE SCHEMES IN EARNEST: DC ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ICON TINA TURNER DIES AT 83 ROSHAN KAPOOR BIDS ADIEU TO BADE ACCHE LAGTE HAI 2 Kapurthala DC Karnail Singh has told the heads of all departments to set their monthly targets. P2 The winner of eight Grammys, Turner died after a long illness at her home in Switzerland, on Wednesday. P3 Rohan says he was shocked when he got to know that the current season is coming to an end. P4 » » FORECAST THUNDERSTORMS MAX 30°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C SUNSET FRIDAY 7:14 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 5:24 AM » FRIDAY | 26 MAY 2023 | JALANDHAR No solution to mountains of waste in sight Lakhs of tonnes of garbage piling up at Wariana village as processing project remains non-starter Deepkamal Kaur FRESH TENDERS INVITED Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 25 Commuters passing via Wariana village on JalandharKapurthala road daily get to see huge mounds of dumped solid waste spread across several acres of land and estimated to be weighing lakhs of tonnes. Every day 500 tonnes of more waste gets added up here. For the past nearly a decade, the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, has been mulling one plan after the other to process this waste but to no avail. The last attempt was a biomining project which was conceptualised in 2019 and was to be executed from April 2022. This project, too, was terminated last month by the Municipal Corporation as the private company with which the agreement had been signed for Rs 32.11 crore had only set up a shed. As the local bodies elections are expected soon, and the waste management is certainly going to remain an issue, officials concerned have been directed by the state government to speed up the process to float tenders for the same project afresh. June 9 has been fixed as the last date for filing tenders. BIOMINING FAILED The last attempt was a biomining project which was conceptualised in 2019. This project, too, was terminated last month by the MC as the private company with which the agreement had been signed for ~32.11 crore had only set up a shed. The Wariana dump is popularly known as garbage mountain of Jalandhar. PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH As the local bodies elections are expected in the coming months and the waste management is certainly going to remain an issue, the officials concerned have been directed by the state government to speed up the process to float tenders for the same project afresh. June 9 has been fixed as the last date for filing tenders. Even as the MC is going ahead with roping in a new player, nothing has been done on ground to ensure proper segregation of waste, improving garbage collection system, undertaking trainings of rag pickers, creating the data base of outsourced staff and localities being covered and improving the dumping process. The fresh, nonsegregated waste is still being dumped over the old piles of waste at the site. Citing reasons for the same, AS Dhaliwal, who is handling the project under Smart City Mission, said, “We had initially rolled out the project as a completely outsourced model estimated at Rs 60 crore. The company was to make all the provisions and get Rs 950 for disposing off every single ton of the waste from the site. But on the government intervention, the project design was changed to CapEx-OpEx model and the amount was halved to Rs 32.11 crore. As per the plan, the company was to lift 7.5 lakh tonnes of waste in two years at a speed of processing 65 tonnes in an hour. A plant was to be set up for Rs 4.93 crore, which the company failed to do. We were to provide power connection, tippers and excavators etc., which we did well in time. We extended the project four times by three months giving ample time to it to resume work but it failed and we had not other option but to terminate the contract.” He added, “We are hopeful of getting a good response again as we have floated fresh tenders.” Gangster nabbed during search op Tribune News Service GANG WAR PREVENTED Jalandhar, May 25 Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar, Mukhvinder Singh today said that under the drive started against thefts and snatching, a gangster was arrested by the Jalandhar rural police on Wednesday. The SSP said a special team of the Maqsudan police and CIA staff, during a joint search operation, nabbed gangster Shashi Kant from the Jagatpura area of Phillaur. Gangster Shashikant alias Shashi, a resident of Panj Dheran, Jagatpura in Phillaur, was nabbed following a tip-off. While he tried to escape by pointing his pistol at the police force, the cops surrounded him and nabbed him. An illegal .32 bore pistol, along with two live rounds (7.65 mm) were seized from his possession. A case under Section 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered against him. Shashi Kant had caused terror among the residents of Phillaur. He had four previous cases of brawls and fights and drug peddling in the area registered against him. Shashi Kant was out on bail when the police nabbed him this time. The SSP said the arrest also prevented a gang-war in the area. ■ Gangster Shashi Kant had caused terror among the residents of Phillaur. He had four previous cases of brawls and fights and drug peddling in the area registered against him. ■ Shashi Kant was out on bail when the police nabbed him this time. The SSP said the arrest also prevented a gang-war in the area. WITHIN RANGE: With the sky clearing up, the Dhauladhars, located 200 km away, was visible from Jalandhar. SARABJIT SINGH 2 thieves held with 10 vehicles, 11 cellphones Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 25 Acting on a tip-off, the Jalandhar police succeeded in apprehending two thieves involved in a series of thefts. The accused have been identified as Saurav, a resident of Basti Danishmanda and Binni, a resident of Deol Nagar. The accused were arrested from near Workshop chowk, and stolen vehicles, including one Activa scooter and nine motorcycles along with 11 stolen mobile phones were recovered from their possession. As per information, the police received a tip-off that two suspects were attempting to sell stolen mobile phones near Workshop chowk. Responding promptly, the police cordoned off the area and apprehended both individuals. Following a thorough interrogation, the police The accused in the police net. then recovered the stolen items, including one Activa scooter, nine motorcycles, and 11 mobile phones from their possession. A case under section 379 of the IPC has been registered against both the accused at police division number 3, and further investigation is underway to know their involvement in other theft incidents. JIT told to refund ~72L with 9% interest to allottee Avneet Kaur SETBACK FOR TRUST Tribune News Service Gangster Shashi Kant in the custody of Jalandhar police. The SSP said the accused will be presented in court and his remand would be obtained by the police. The previous cases lodged against him include those under the Arms Act and NDPS Act at the Phillaur and Kapurthala police stations in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Jalandhar, May 25 A Patiala resident, Neeraj Jindal, dealt a blow to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) as the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ruled in favour of her complaint regarding a 356-sq yd plot in Surya Enclave Extension. This comes as yet another setback for the JIT, which recently lost three cases related to the Bibi Bhani Complex. The commission ordered the JIT to refund the principal amount of Rs 72,18,240 to ■ The latest order of the National The Surya Enclave Extension, Jalandhar, presents a picture of neglect. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Jindal along with 9 per cent interest per annum, totaling nearly Rs 1.5 crore, from the date of deposit until the reali- sation. Additionally, the JIT was instructed to make all payments within 60 days of the judgment’s pronounce- ment. Jindal explained in her complaint that she had purchased the plot, numbered 83-D, as part of the JIT’s Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has come as yet another setback for JIT, which recently lost three cases related to the Bibi Bhani Complex ■ The commission ordered the JIT to refund the principal amount of ~72,18,240 along with 9% interest per annum, totaling nearly ~1.5 cr, to complainant Neeraj Jindal for failing to give possession on time “development” scheme for residential plots on 94.97 acres. The JIT offered around 431 plots ranging from 100 sq yd to 500 sq yd to the public at a reserve price of Rs 17,000 per sq yd. She completed the payment for the plot in June 2014, expecting possession in the same year, but the JIT failed to deliver despite her repeated requests. Frustrated by the lack of response from JIT, Jindal discovered in 2015 that farmers had filed a writ petition against JIT in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the disputed land of Surya Enclave Extension. Realising that no construction work would take place, Continued on page 2 Once known for tomato, village now averse to it FSSAI certificate for veggie market Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 25 There were times when many tractors carrying tomatoes would go to mandi from Swal, a village in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala. The village was known for its tomato production. Only a handful of farmers are left who sow tomato and majority have stopped cultivating the crop now and have switched to spring maize and other vegetables. Citing different reasons, the farmers said a high input cost, including labour cost, blight attack on the crop INPUT COST RISING ❝ We had to shell a lot of money on labour. Earlier labourers would take ~3 per crate of tomatoes and now they take ~20 for the same…. the crop would also get damaged due to blight attack. Gajan Singh, FARMER IN SWAL VILLAGE ❞ and no return forced them to leave the tomato cultivation. Farmer Malkit Singh from the village used to cultivate tomatoes on 15 acres along with his brother. He has now completely stopped it. “I now WILL ENCOURAGE THEM ❝ The Horticulture Department wants farmers to start growing tomatoes again as it has a great potential now. We will make them understand how cultivation will help them in earning well. ❞ Dr Sukhdeep Hundal, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT grow other vegetables. We grew the crop for years but then decided not to do it anymore because of several expenses and no outcome,” he said. Another village farmer, Gajan Singh, also reminisced that he started cultivation in 1995 on five acres and continued it for 10 years. “We had to shell a lot of money on labour. Earlier labourers would take Rs 3 per crate of tomatoes and now they take Rs 20 for the c m y b same. Another factor that stopped farmers from growing tomatoes is that the crop would also get damaged due to blight attack,” he said, adding that he now grows cauliflower and carrots. Dr Sukhdeep Hundal, the Deputy Director Horticulture department said that it was true that tomato was a major crop in the village. “The department also wants the farmers to start growing tomatoes again as it has a great potential now. We will make them understand how cultivation will help them in earning well” he said. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 25 Additional Deputy Commissioner Major Amit Mahajan and District Health Officer Dr Reema Jammu handed over the ‘Eat-Right Certification’ to the Pratapura fruits and vegetables market today. The certification, issued by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), aims to promote the availability of hygienic and quality food products at the market. During the meeting of the district-level advisory committee held at the District ADC Major Amit Mahajan and DHO Dr Reema Jammu hand over the ‘Eat-Right Certification’ to Pratapura market management. Administrative Complex, the ADC stated that the certificate was issued after a detailed audit by the FSSAI as part of the modernisation of street food hub initiative. This scheme is being implemented Continued on page 2