23082023-LT-01.qxd 8/23/2023 12:50 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 500 VISIT DE-ADDICTION, OOAT CENTRES DAILY IN DISTRICT MOHIT RAINA WRAPS UP SHOOT OF THE FREELANCER RADHIKA BECOMES JURY MEMBER AT EMMY AWARDS 37,917 OPD patients, 150 others admitted to government facilities between April & June this year. P2 Mohit Raina, who will be seen in web series, The Freelancer, opens up on getting injured while shooting.P3 Actress Radhika Madan has become a part of the jury panel at the International Emmy Awards. P4 » » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.01 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:57 AM WEDNESDAY | 23 AUGUST 2023 | LUDHIANA Sandeep Rishi is new MC Commissioner Tribune News Service Potholed Transport Nagar Lax landlords offer shelter sans police verification roads invitation to mishaps Nikhil Bhardwaj Ludhiana, August 22 Sandeep Rishi will be Ludhiana’s new Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner after Shena Aggarwal was transferred as Special Secretary, Social Security and Women and Child Welfare. Additional Commissioner of the MC Aditya Dachalwal has been posted as Additional Secretary, NRI Affairs, and in his place PCS Paramdeep Singh has been posted. Tribune News Service Choked sewers cripple Dr Ambedkar Colony, residents seek redress WARD WATCH WARD NO 20 LUDHIANA Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Travel agent dupes man of ~5.44 lakh Ludhiana, August 22 The Moti Nagar police yesterday registered a case of fraud against a Jalandhar-based travel agent on the charge of duping a city resident on the pretext of arranging a work permit of Russia. The suspect has been identified as Gopal Singh, owner of DRD International, situated in Maharaj Market, Jalandhar. Complainant Bhupinder Singh of Transport Nagar here told the police that he had applied for work permit of some people for Russia in 2020. Though the suspect had arranged work permits, due to Covid-19, operation of international flights were suspended and all work permits stood expired. “I approached the agent and requested him to arrange fresh work permits. He demanded Rs 5.44 lakh for the same and assured that the permits would be arranged soon. Money was also given in advance to him. However, contrary to the claims of the suspect, he failed to arrange the permits. He also refused to return the money,” the complainant alleged. ASI Jatinder Singh said after registering a case, further probe was launched on Monday. — TNS Ludhiana, August 22 Neglect of the well-being of people have affected various sections of Ward number 20, including residential and industrial domains. Several deteriorating roads, waterlogging during rainfall, unhygienic surroundings, air pollution, sporadic instances of contaminated water supply and other pressing concerns have been plaguing various parts of the ward. The Municipal Corporation has seemingly chosen to ignore the issues. In Transport Nagar, some roads present a picture of disrepair. Rainwater-filled huge potholes are an open invitation to fatal mishaps. Truck drivers have stated that how their vehicles were being damaged due to the same. They said on several occasions, e-rickshaws and other vehicles flipped over due to the big potholes. They have been demanding reconstruction of damaged roads for a long time but the government officials concerned have failed to pay any attention. A pothole-ridden stretch at Transport Nagar in Ludhiana. PHOTO: INDERJEET VERMA WHAT RESIDENTS SAY Sewer lines and road Some road stretches of gullies consistently choke, Transport Nagar lie in ruins. leading to inundation during Huge potholes cause rainfall. The dirty water had accidents and harm seeped into my house multiple times. vehicles. The authorities must initiate necessary action for the reconstruction We appeal to the authorities to take measures and resolve the issues. of the damaged stretches. ❝ ❝ ❞ Satwinder Singh, TRANSPORTER Waterlogging is also a major issue during rainy days in Transport Nagar. Rajwinder Singh, a businessman, said: “Transport Nagar is being neglected, likely as it holds no electoral significance due to the absence of voters. Despite lodging multiple complaints regarding the poor road conditions and insanitary environment, the authorities have been unsuccessful in addressing the issues.” In Dr Ambedkar Colony on RK Road, residents have voiced their grievances over the unhygienic atmosphere. They said sewers were lying choked while the park was in a dilapidated condition. A group of women residing in the colony said: “Sewers and road gullies consistently remain choked, lacking timely maintenance. Our park lies in ruins. We appeal to the ❞ Kanta, RESIDENT OF DR AMBEDKAR NAGAR authorities concerned to ensure immediate redressal of these issues in our area.” It is necessary to note that the Municipal Corporation had previously undertaken the reconstruction of most of the roads in Textile Colony. However, concerns regarding road quality arose even then, as a few samples did not pass the quality test. One of the roads is in a dilapidated state. continued on page 2 BKU (Kadian) flays protesting farmer’s death Our Correspondent Ludhiana, August 22 Bharti Kisan Union-Kadian (BKU) has condemned the death of a farmer in Sangrur district on Monday when the police used “brute force” against farmers protesting to press their demand for compensation of losses to crops due to floods in the state. In a statement, BKU president Harmeet Singh Kadian said the AAP government had made an attempt to snatch the democratic right of farmers to hold protest to highlight their grievances and the lathicharge on peacefully protesting farmers was a proof of antifarmer and anti-people policies of the government. Kadian said the farmers, having suffered immense losses of crops, cattle heads and property due to floods were left to fend for themselves, both by the Centre and the state government and to make the matters worse, the AAP government in Punjab was out to deny them the constitutional right to hold protest by use of repressive methods. He said cultivation of traditional crops had already been reduced to an economically non-viable profession and the farmers also had to bear the brunt of natural calamities on one side and indifferent governments on the other. Kadian called for a comprehensive package of relief for flood-hit farmers of the state and for acceptance of other demands such as deferment/waiver of farm loans and permission for sand mining in their fields to remove silt and mud to prepare the fields for the next crop. Ludhiana, August 22 Term it as negligence of landlords of the industrial hub or the lenient approach of the police in taking action against such house owners who are welcoming tenant with open arms and without bothering (tenant) them to undergo any verification from the Police Department. Unfortunately, the trend is helping criminals in taking shelters in one way or another. The city has witnessed several incidents in the past in which wanted criminals/gangsters and fraudsters were given house/apartments on rent by the people. It was exposed only when these tenants committed crime and posed challenges to the police in tracing their hideouts. From time to time, the Ludhiana police have been issuing orders to ensure tenant verification and some FIRs were also registered against landlords for violating the orders. However, the police fail to take action regularly in such cases reportedly due to insufficient force and lenient atitude. Besides the involvement of tenants in heinous crimes, the city witnessed several incidents in which Nepalese servants committed thefts in their owners’ houses and fled with cash and valuables. In some of the cases, they even served poisonous food to the owners and also thrashed elderly victims . Their (servants’) lack of police verification or information about their close acquaintance pose tough challenges for the police. Most of the incidents involving Nepalese servants lying untraced due to the same. No awareness about mobile application In August 2021, the then VENUE FOR SHOWS, CONTESTS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 22 After the wait of two years, the much hyped and firstof-its kind dog park of North India, located at Bhai Randhir Singh (BRS) Nagar, will be finally inaugurated by the weekend. Preparations are on in full swing and final touches are being given to the park. The park is spread over an area of 1.5 acres and has various facilities such as agility equipment, water fountains, benches, waste disposal bins and a veterinary clinic. It will also serve as a venue for dog shows and competitions, where owners can showcase their pets’ skills. The park, which was delayed for two years due to formalities, was much awaited by city residents. Pet parents have been demanding The park is spread over an area of 1.5 acres and has various facilities such as agility equipment, water fountains, benches, waste disposal bins and a veterinary clinic. It will also serve as a venue for dog shows and competitions, where owners can showcase their pets’ skills. Finishing touches being given to the dog park ahead of its inauguration in BRS Nagar. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN for long a designated park where pets can move about and play freely without any restrictions. Member of Parliament Ravneet Bittu today visited the spot and said dog park was in its final stages of com- pletion. “It will provide a safe space for our furry friends to help them stay fit and healthy. The park will also serve as a venue for dog shows,” he said. Deepanjali, who has a pet dog, said the city badly needs such places. “Ludhiana is getting congested and there is hardly any space left for children to play, what to talk about dogs. We cannot take pet dogs to parks as people start complaining and there is no space c m y b in our locality for taking them for a stroll. I am eagerly awaiting for the park to open so that my dog can have a good time,” she said. Another city resident said he got a call from his relatives in Chandigarh, enquiring about the dog park in Ludhiana. “They are coming to Ludhiana and also want to bring their dog along so that the pet can enjoy in the park,” he said. Senior veterinary officer Harbans Singh Dhalla said the park was his brainchild. “I saw dog parks in the US and thought it would be a great idea to develop the DGP Dinkar Gupta had launched a mobile application, ‘PPSaanjh’, through which any landlord can easily register their tenants or servants. The app was developed by the Ludhiana police for the entire state but landlords are hardly using it may be due to lack of awareness among them. Earlier, there was a cumbersome process of verification of tenants as landlords had to visit the Saanjh Kendra or police stations to fill lengthy forms but the app has made the process quite easy and transparent. Since Ludhiana is called an industrial hub, migrant labourers have been putting up here in large numbers. People have constructed several vehras (a common place where migrants live). Neither the police nor do the administration has any record of such vehras where migrants have been given rooms on rent. Most of these vehras offer accommodation to migrants without police verification. During the previous Assembly elections, the Ludhiana police had started carrying out a doorto-door verification mainly of vehras to crackdown on wanted criminals in areas with a large migrant population, including Focal Point, Basti Jodhewal, Salem Tabri, Daba, Giaspura, Sahnewal, Dhandhari, Mundian and Jamalpur. These areas have a number of labour quarters and 10 to 50 families were said to be residing in a single building. But the exercise was not carried out in letter and in spirit. Instances where landlords gave shelter to criminals On August 11, 2023, the AGTF, Punjab Police, with STF Uttar Pradesh, arrested , absconding criminal Arvind Kashyap, alias Pintu, a close associate of don Dhruv Kuntu, from Ludhiana. The suspect was involved in the murder of former MLA of the Sagri Assembly constituency Sarvesh Sipu, who was killed in 2013 and had a reward of ?1 lakh on his arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The suspect had been staying at a rented house in the Daba area of Ludhiana by changing his identity. Pankaj Sharma (32) and his wife Neha Kumari (28), who had brutally killed Ram Prasad from UP and seperated his head from the body, was safely staying in a migrants’ vehra in Adarsh Nagar. Wanted in five murders in Bihar and Punjab, Pankaj was never arrested by the police for around 10 years. Had the vehra owner filed an application for tenant verification, his identity could have been exposed during the process. On July 21, the Ludhiana police busted a fake call centre and arrested its 29 members belonging to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Those arrested are aged between 19 and 25 years. The owner rented a full-fledged house to the suspects without paying heed to the mandatory tenant verification orders of the police. Yuvraj Sabharwal, the main accused in the Amritsar IED recovery case, with a criminal history enjoyed a safe stay in the industrial hub in the Dugri area. He got an apartment on rent through OLX app in December 2021. The truth unveiled when he was arrested by the Punjab Police. Labourers have been putting up in large numbers in migrants' vehras of Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN After two-year wait, city to get its first dog park soon Manav Mander Mushrooming migrants vehras too safe haven for criminals; police orders fall on deaf ears same here as pet owners were really in need of some spot like this,” he said. “There will be a nominal entry fee for the park, which will be valid for the entire day. We will plan to develop one park in each zone and entry to those will be free. We will be charging fees for entry at the BRS Nagar park as tendering was done for the project while the MC is planning to develop other parks itself, hence, there will be no fees,” said Dr Dhalla. According to Dr Dhalla, it is the first-of-its-kind park in North India and third in the country, others being at Hyderabad and Mumbai. Day after elderly man’s death, nine booked Died after assault by neighbours, say kin Tribune News Service Ludhiana, August 22 A day after the death of an elderly man at Dhanansu here on Sunday night, the Jamalpur police registered a case against nine persons. His kin had been alleging that the victim died after he was attacked by their neighbours but the police claimed that the deceased had no injuries and he died due to heart attack. The suspects have been identified as Kuldeep Singh, Balwinder Singh, Amritpal Singh, Varinder Singh alias Bhati, Jasvir Singh, Beero, Gindo, Raincho and Vicky. The police added section of fighting and criminal intimidation to the case. Complainant Jaswant Singh said on August 20, the suspects, who were their neighbours, attacked his father, mother, brother and sister. They hurled bricks at them. The assailants also damaged their car and a scooter. During the incident, his father became unconscious and was rushed to the Civil Hospital where he succumbed. The complainant said the police assured that further charges would be added to the FIR after the arrival of the medical report. Investigating officer ASI Balwinder Singh further investigation was launched in the case.