28052023-LT-01.qxd 5/28/2023 12:37 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune STAGNANT SEWAGE LEAVES DORAHA RESIDENTS FUMING ISHA TALWAR RECREATES DIMPLE KAPADIA’S LOOK YEAR ON, REMEMBERING SINGER SIDHU MOOSEWALA Doraha has been struggling with the long-standing issue of sewage accumulation for years now. P2 Isha Talwar has been receiving praise for her Rajasthani look in her latest show, Saas Bahu aur Flamingo. P3 One year after his demise, singer Sidhu Moosewala continues to trend and rule the hearts of his fans. P4 » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 22°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 21°C SUNSET SUNDAY 7.22 PM SUNRISE MONDAY 5:25 AM » SUNDAY | 28 MAY 2023 | LUDHIANA Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 27 The Khanna police conducted raids at IELTS centres which were being run without approval from the authorities concerned and took action against its owners. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal in a statement issued said on May 26, a tip-off was received that some IELTS centres were running illegally in the police district Khanna. Special teams were formed to identify such centres. During the raid, it was found that Simranjeet Kaur of Dehru village was running an illegal IELTS centre (SK IELTS Centre) and Meenu Chopra of Krishna Nagar was also running an illegal centre (Meenu IELTS.com) at their houses. After registering a case against the owners of the two centres under Sections 13 of the Punjab Travel Professional Regulation Act, further investigation was being carried by the Khanna DSP Moreover, relevant doc. uments, including registration certificates, submitted by the IELTS centres to the Khanna police were sent to the District Magistrate’s office, Ludhiana, for verification, Kondal said. Meanwhile, the SSP appealed to parents of students preparing for IELTS to enrol their wards only in institutions duly verified by the state government. Wheat season ends, procurement up 18% than last year in district Despite inclement weather, 8.13 LMT grain purchased this year Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, May 27 With the wheat procurement season coming to a close, the grain purchase went up over 18 per cent as compared to previous year in the district, the administration has confirmed. This was despite the fact that weather vagaries, which included intermittent rains coupled with thunderstorm and gusty winds, had hit hard the standing wheat crop at the fag end of the ripening stage. Interestingly, the entire stock of wheat that had arrived across 13 mandis (grain markets) in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, had already been purchased, lifted, and full and final payments for the same had also been made to the farmers concerned. Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik told The Tribune, here on Saturday that as many as 8,13,357.2 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat had arrived in the district this season, which was 1,24,197.2 MT, accounting for 18.02 per cent more than 6,89,160 MT of the grains that had arrived across 13 mandis in Ludhiana during the last wheat procure- HIMANSHU MAHAJAN 2 booked for running illegal IELTS centres TELLING NUMBERS YEAR 2023 2022 PAYMENT AGENCY Pungrain Markfed Punsup PSWC FCI Private PROCUREMENT 8,13,357.2 6,89,160 ~1,727.31 crore PURCHASE 2,17,998.35 1,85,699 1,84,877.05 1,17,799 36,789.8 70,194 (SOURCE: DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, PROCUREMENT FIGURES IN MT TILL SATURDAY) MANDI PROCUREMENT Doraha 64,564 Hathur 39,850 Jagraon 91,431 Khanna 99,425 Kila Raipur 59,330 Ludhiana 39,775 Machhiwara 73,523 Maloud 37,669 Mullanpur Dakha 91,483 Raikot 73,617 Sahnewal 47,360 Samrala 45,635 Sidhwan Bet 45,888 73,617 MT, Sahnewal 47,360 MT, Samrala 45,635 MT and Sidhwan Bet grain market purchased 45,888 MT of grains this year. While government agencies procured 7,43,163.2 MT of wheat, which accounted for 91.37 per cent of the total arrived stock, private agencies purchased the remaining 70,194 MT of grains. While Pungrain purchased the maximum of 2,17,998.35 MT of wheat, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) procured the minimum of 36,789.8 MT of the stock. Among other agencies, Markfed purchased 1,85,699 MT of wheat, Punsup 1,84,877.05 MT, Punsup 1,17,799 MT and Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC) procured 1,17,799 MT of the stock. Every grain procured: DC ment season in 2022. She said the entire arrived stock of wheat had been procured and lifted from the grain markets and the farmers had been paid a sum of Rs 1,727.31 crore, which was full and final payment for th sold grains made within the stipulated 48 hours of the purchase. The mandi-wise procurement figures showed that Khanna, which is Asia’s largest grain market, procured the maximum of 99,425 MT of wheat this season while Maloud mandi reported the minimum of 37,669 MT of grains. Among other mandis, Doraha procured 64,564 MT of wheat, Hathur 39,850 MT, Jagraon 91,431 MT, Kila Raipur 59,330 MT, Ludhiana 39,775 MT, Machhiwara 73,523 MT, Mullanpur Dakha 91,483 MT, Raikot “As per the commitment made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, we have been able to procure each and every grain that had arrived across 13 mandis in our district. Besides, we have been able to lift the entire purchased stock and made the full and final payment to farmers within 48 hours of the purchase,” says Surabhi Malik, Deputy Commissioner. Assessment of sewer system Two land in police net by independent experts sought with opium, illcit liquor Ludhiana, May 27 Voicing their concerns for environmental protection, a public action committee (PAC), in collaboration with several NGOs, held a crucial meeting today. They jointly appealed to the government to prioritise and address various pressing environmental issues. The committee members emphasised that the Giaspura gas tragedy serves as a warning and raised a demand for thorough assessment of sewer networks by independent experts in Ludhiana. This audit is crucial to accurately diagnose the problem and implement appropriate remedial measures so that such incidents could be averted in future. In the meeting, the committee members demanded the establishment of a biodiversity park on the land of Mattewara Textile Park, which was acquired from government departments. They also urged for the prompt return of the acquired land in Sekhowal to the village panchayat, as promised by the Chief Minister during a meeting with the committee in July 2022. Furthermore, the members demanded shutdown of a liquor factory in Zira and urged for written orders to be issued to enforce the closure. Villages affected by water pollution caused by the factory should be provided with clean drinking water from an alternative source without delay. The committee also called for the dismissal of the FIRs filed against protesters and the initiation of criminal proceedings against the polluters. The committee members urged the government to issue clear written orders to cancel the concretisation plan for the twin canals leading to Rajasthan. Safeguarding the Sutlej from pollution was also emphasised. It called for the appointment of an independent expert committee to conduct a timebound audit of all STPs, CETPs, and the progress of the Buddha Dariya rejuvenation project. — TNS Ludhiana, May 27 The Khanna police claimed to have nabbed two persons and seized 2 kg of opium and 3,200 litres of liquor from them in separate incidents. Khanna SSP Amneet Kondal addressed a press conference regarding the matter on Saturday. Kondal said on May 26, a police party was conducting a routine checking near Alaur village in Khanna where on suspicion a pedestrian was asked to stop for checking. During the checking, 2 kg of opium was seized. The man was identified as Jagmohan Pal of Arjan Colony, Hoshiarpur. A case under the NDPS Act was registered. c m y b In the other incident, the Khanna police arrested Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, of Tarn Taran, and seized 3,200 litres of illicit liquor from him. One of his accomplices, Nirmal Singh of Tarn Taran, managed to give the slip to the police. A case under the Excise Act was registered. He was nabbed at a naka where a canter (bearing registration no. PB35 Q 7586) was stopped for checking, which led to the recovery of the illicit liquor. — TNS Police personnel with the seized illegal weapons in Ludhiana on Saturday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Inter-state arms supplier nabbed, 5 weapons seized Jailed gangster, others managing smuggling of weapons Tribune News Service MAJOR CRIME INCIDENTS AVERTED: POLICE Ludhiana, May 27 The Khanna police today claimed to have busted an inter-state gang supplying weapons and arrested one of its members with five illegal weapons from his possession. The suspect has been identified as Divesh, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Amneet Kondal, Superintendent of Police, Investigation Pragya Jain and Inspector Amandeep Singh in-charge, CIA, addressed a press conference regarding the matter on Saturday. The SSP said when the CIA officials were checking suspicious elements at Doraha, they received a tip-off that a person, Divesh, had links with gangsters and he was roaming in the area with illegal weapons. The suspect has been identified as Divesh, a resident of Jhajjar, Haryana. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Amneet Kondal said with the arrest of Divesh, major crime incidents were averted. Further probe was being carried out and links were being worked upon. During preliminary questioning, he said he had links with notorious gangsters of various states and with their help, he had been running inter-state gang arms deals. She said the police party laid a naka at a strategic place where the suspect was rounded up. During the checking of his belongings, five weapons of .315 bore were seized. A case under various sections of the IPC and Arms Act was arrested. During preliminary questioning of the suspect, he said he had links with notorious gangsters of various states and with their help, he had been running inter-state gang deals regarding weapon supply, Kondal said. She said with the arrest of Divesh, major crime inci- dents were averted. Further investigation was being carried out and links were being worked upon. The nabbed suspect was in touch with some notorious gangster who is at present lodged in a jail. The gangster has been managing the inter-state supply of illegal weapons from jail, a senior police official requesting annonymity said the gangster’s name could not be made public as he had to be brought on production warrant for questioning soon. More members of the gang operating across the country would be arrested soon.