03112023-JTR-01.qxd 11/3/2023 12:57 AM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune MELA GADRI BABEYAN DA CONCLUDES ON HIGH NOTE ALMA HUSSEIN JOINS CAST OF NEERJA…EK NAYI PEHCHAAN RAINBOW RISHTA TRAILER IS ABOUT LOVE & ACCEPTANCE Mela Gadri Babeyan Da concluded on a high note with songs, dances and thought-provoking theatre. P2 Alma is a perfect match for Abeer & ideal daughter-in-law for Bagchi family in Neerja…Ek Nayi Pehchaan.P4 Makers of Trinetra Haldar-starrer unscripted docu-series Rainbow Rishta unveil the trailer. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 30°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 30°C | MIN 15°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5:34 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:38 AM » FRIDAY | 3 NOVEMBER 2023 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF 3 BOOKED FOR SEEKING DOWRY Phagwara: The Shahkot police have booked three members of a family on the charges of cheating and harassment for dowry. Investigating officer (IO) Pardeep Kumar said the suspects had been identified as Swaran Singh, a resident of Esse Wal village, his wife Mohinder Kaur and son Sarpreet Singh. In her complaint to the police, Rupinder Kaur, wife of Sarpreet Singh, presently living at Kangana village falling under the Nakodar Sadar police station, said her marriage was solemnised with Supreet Singh and her parents bore all expenses for his migration to Canada. She said after reaching Canada, her husband was not bothered about her migration and started harassing her to bring more dowry. The IO said a case under Sections 498-A, 406 and 420 of the IPC had been registered against the suspects. OC EX-NAGAR COUNCIL CHIEF’S BIKE STOLEN Phagwara: A motorcycle belonging to former Nagar Council president Malkiat Singh Ragbotra was stolen from Master Sadhu Ram Nagar on Tuesday night. Malkiat had gone to attend a wedding function after parking his bike near the venue. When he returned, he found the bike missing. Even after two days, the police have not registered an FIR in this regard. In another case, the police arrested two vehicle thieves and recovered two stolen bikes from their possession on Wednesday night. The suspects had been identified as Sunny and Davinder Pal, residents of Ranipur village near Phagwara. The suspects were arrested while they were dismantling parts of the stolen bikes to sell them near Maan Palace, Phagwara. A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC has been registered. OC S SRINIVAS IS GM OF RCF, K’THALA Phagwara: S Srinivas has joined as General Manager, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. He belongs to the 1986 batch of Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers. He did his BTech from Andhra University and MTech from IIT, Kharagpur. He has played a vital role in design and development of Vande Bharat trains. He has played a vital role in prestigious projects like air-conditioned EMUs, air-conditioned Metro trains for Kolkata, export coaches for Sri Lanka and Nepal, and vistadome coaches. He worked as Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer in ICF Chennai, South East Central Railway and Southern Railway before taking over as General Manager, RCF. OC No let-up in stubble burning in dist Tally reaches 301; daily cases average nearly 60; Shahkot tops the list Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 With a whopping 129 cases of stubble burning reported in Jalandhar in the past two days, the number of total such incidents in the district rose to 301, recorded until Wednesday. With per day cases of fire averaging at 30 earlier, almost 60 fires are now being reported per day in the district. Until October 30, there were 171 stubble burning cases in Jalandhar. The increase in farm fires has also been accompanied by a layer of smog across the district with dusk and dawn especially marked by a thick layer affecting visibility. The delayed harvest this year gave way to hope albeit temporarily that stubble burning cases might just get contained significantly this year. The onset of November has, however, brought disappointment. With a barrage of farm fires reported in the hinterland by October-end, the situation looks grim in November, especially in view of the festive season. Additionally, increased traffic and festive rush in the district are going to add to pollution levels in Jalandhar. Amidst cases of stubble burning, Shahkot consistently tops the list, reporting the most farm fire incidents, with Phillaur and Nakodar following close after. Till Wednesday evening, 114 stubble fire cases were reported from Shahkot, 92 from Phillaur, 63 from Nakodar, 23 from Jalandhar-2, 9 from Jalandhar-1 and no case from Adampur. Adampur area has impressively steered clear of burning stubble despite a massive hike in the number of cases in other areas. Until October 30, as many as 73 of the 171 farm fire cases had been reported from Shahkot, 38 from Nakodar, 37 from Phillaur, 20 from Jalandhar-2, 3 from Jalandhar-1 and none from Adampur. Swati, a resident of Model House area in Jalandhar, said: “I have been setting out of my house early in the morning for a walk and it is getting exceedingly difficult for the past some days. While the oft taken route via Ravidass Chowk is already seeing traffic jams and constant dust due to construction work which chokes commuters, steady smog is now making commute a big challenge. Traffic and smog are making commuting through the main roads an ordeal.” Sugam Dhir, another resident, said: “The standard of civic amenities in the city is already deteriorating and with the additional onslaught of pollution, citizens have to brace for a nightmarish winter ahead. Garbage mounds, construction dust and smog are making the city uninhabitable with each passing day.” SMOG HITS VISIBILITY Until October 30, there were 171 stubble burning cases in Jalandhar. The increase in farm fires has also been accompanied by a Paddy stubble being burnt at a field near Shahkot in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH COMMUTING AN ORDEAL I have been setting out of my house early in the morning for a walk and it is getting exceedingly difficult for the past some days. While the oft taken route via Ravidass Chowk is already seeing traffic jams and constant dust due to construction work which chokes commuters, steady smog is now making commute a big challenge. Traffic and smog are making commuting through the main roads an ordeal. ❝ ❞ — Swati, A RESIDENT OF MODEL HOUSE AREA Kapurthala govt primary schools grapple with shortage of teachers One educator each for 6 institutions; studies take a hit Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 Students at six government primary schools in Kapurthala district are facing significant challenges due to shortage of teachers. Despite having decent enrolments in villages, there is only one teacher each at Gore, Banwala, Madho Jhanda, Jhal Thikriwala, Budo Punder and Jhugian Gulam schools for Classes I to V. This lone teacher not only handles teaching duties but also manages other responsibilities such as coordination for midday meal and clerical work. There are 55 students in Government Primary School, Gore, 34 in Banwala, 37 in Madho Jhanda, 74 in Jhal Thikriwala, 25 in Budo Punder and 43 in Jhugian Gulam. However, a single teacher is tasked with taking all these classes, often resulting in merging of classes to STRENGTH OF PUPILS There are 55 students in Government Primary School, Gore, 34 in Banwala, 37 in Madho Jhanda, 74 in Jhal Thikriwala, 25 in Budo Punder and 43 in Jhugian Gulam. assign collective work. This practice, however, adversely impacts students’ ability to focus and hampers their studies, claim parents. A few parents revealed that they had learned from village panchayats that teachers leverage political influence or personal connections to secure placements at their preferred schools. The Education Department has failed to address this issue of uneven layer of smog across the district with dusk and dawn, especially marked by a thick layer affecting visibility. distribution of teaching staff. They said Government Primary School, Lal Kothi, in Kapurthala, had 165 students. There are seven regular teachers and two teachers on deputation, while these six primary schools continue to suffer with a single teacher each. Parents questioned how these schools can improve their educational outcomes without an adequate number of teachers. “This discrepancy highlights a stark contradiction in the government’s claims of providing quality education and establishing Schools of Eminence, all while failing to address the issue of teacher distribution in its schools,” they said. Meanwhile, Jagwinder Singh, District Education Officer (Primary), Kapurthala, said he had already instructed Block Primary Education Officers (BPEOs) to rectify this uneven distribution and deploy teachers where needed. Motorists have a tough time as smog envelops the city reducing the visibility. As per the CPCB app, the AQI remained at 221 in Jalandhar on Thursday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH DC deputes officers to curtail farm fire cases Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 In a bid to further curtail stubble burning cases in Jalandhar, Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal today deputed Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) in Shahkot, Phillaur and Nakodar sub-divisions where maximum stubble burning cases are being reported for past few days. He directed the officers to adopt zero tolerance in cases, impose penalty and ensure red entry in revenue records of violators. Following a virtual conference presided over by Commission for Air Quality Management, the Deputy Commissioner said ADC (G) Amit Mahajan would oversee Shahkot, ADC (UD) Jasbir Singh would check Phillaur and ADC (D) Varinder Pal Singh Bajwa would inspect the Nakodar sub-division. He said officers should curb the practice by carrying out extensive field visits in their areas. He directed the officials to ensure that red entry was made in all instances where stubble burning was verified by clusters/nodal officers, besides imposition of environment compensation. He said as nearly 70 per cent of the harvest season was complete, the officers need to make sincere efforts for the next 10 days so that the cases do not rise and remained 50 per cent lesser than the previous year. The DC also asked the officials to keep a close tab on farm fire incidents by ensuring physical verification in each case. He said SDMs must give special attention to the areas that were reporting maximum cases. Daily monitoring of farm fire incidents was being ensured through an elaborate mechanism and awareness activities were being undertaken by various departments. Sarangal also appealed the peasantry to not to resort to the stubble burning as it poses a threat to the environment and must be avoided at any cost. Students urge farmers not to burn straw Hoshiarpur: With the aim of freeing the district from stubble burning, students of government schools of the district took out an awareness rally to create awareness among the farmers on Thursday. On the instructions of Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal, under the leadership of District Education Officer (Secondary) Harbhagwant Singh and Deputy District Education Officer (Secondary) Dheeraj Vashishth, all middle, high and secondary government schools of the district became part of this awareness rally. Children inspired farmers not to burn paddy straw by writing slogans on placards asking them not to burn paddy straw. The Deputy Commissioner said the efforts made by students would yield positive results. — OC Youths throw stones, fire shots at house Indian Oil Mumbai, CAG Delhi to clash for hockey title today Jalandhar, November 2 A group of around 18 to 20 miscreants allegedly pelted stones and fired gunshots at a house in the vicinity of Ekta Nagar in Rama Mandi. The police have initiated legal proceedings against Pawan Rajput, a resident of Ekta Nagar, and his unidentified accomplices. No arrest has been made so far. On the complaint of Sameer, the police have registered the case. He told the police that one of the suspects was allegedly making unwanted advances towards his sister. When she objected, one of the suspects, along with his accomplices, attacked their residence. Sameer said a formal complaint was earlier submitted to the authorities concerned. However, they did not take any action. When the victim’s family threatened self-immolation, the police decided to register an FIR. While confirming that a case has been registered, police officials said they were conducting raids to apprehend the suspects. — TNS Jalandhar, November 2 Indian Oil Mumbai and CAG Delhi will face each other in the final of the 40th Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament. The final match will be played at Olympic Surjit Hockey Stadium here at 6.30 pm tomorrow. In the first semi-finals played today, CAG Delhi defeated defending champions Army XI in a penalty shootout by a margin of 5-3. In the second semi-finals, Indian Oil Mumbai thrashed Punjab Police Jalandhar (2-1). CAG Delhi entered the final for the first time in the history of the Surjit Hockey Tournament, while Indian Oil Mumbai made it to the final of the tournament for the 12th time. Before the second semifinal, Amolak Singh Gakhal honoured former captain of the Indian hockey team Olympian Manpreet Singh with a gold medal. In the first semi-final between Army XI Delhi and CAG Delhi, the former missed A match between Army XI and CAG Delhi underway in Jalandhar on Thursday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH several chances to score. Both teams were goalless till the half time. In the 57th minute of the game, Pramod from CAG converted the penalty stroke into a goal to make the score 1-0. In the 58th minute, Army XI’s Harman Singh equalised the score by converting a penalty corner into a goal. CAG Delhi won the match in penalty shootout by 5-3. The second semi-final was played between Indian Oil Mumbai and Punjab Police Jalandhar. In the 10th minute of the game, Olympian Simranjit Singh scored a field goal to make the score 1-0. Punjab Police missed four consecutive penalty corners in the second quarter of the game. Indian Oil led 1-0 at halftime. In the 40th minute of the game, Punjab Police’s Harmanjit Singh scored a field goal from Olympian Manpreet Singh to make the score 1-1. In the 58th minute of the game, Indian Oil’s Sunil Yadav scored through a penalty corner to make the score 2-1. — TNS Fire breaks out at vacant plot Stray dog invades turf during match at Surjit stadium Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 A massive fire broke out at an empty lot near Guru Ravidass Chowk. A huge quantity of discarded rubber waste was dumped at the plot. The fire brigade team managed to douse the flames after approximately one and a half hours. They used liquid foam to contain the flames. Though the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that someone lit the garbage, leading to rapid escalation. Fire brigade officials received a distress call from the control room about the fire in the vicinity of Ravidass Chowk. After getting information, three fire tenders reached the spot. Meanwhile, there was no report of any casualty. A substantial amount of rub- ber waste was burnt to ashes in the incident. Fire officials said a comprehensive report on the incident would be compiled and submitted to higher officials. The report was expected to shed light on the exact cause of the fire. After getting information about the incident, officials from the Division Number 5 police station reached the spot and managed traffic around the chowk. Canine menace prevalent in several areas; 500 to 600 dogs sterilised every month: Officials Avneet Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 2 The city is grappling with stray dog menace, which is evident across various areas, including upscale neighbourhoods and playgrounds. Yesterday, a stray dog entered the Surjit Hockey Stadium while a match was being played during the 40th edition of the Surjit Hockey Tournament. Stray dogs fre- c m y b A stray dog wanders at the hockey stadium in Jalandhar. TRIBUNE PHOTO quently wander on the hockey field and distract players. The incident has highlighted the growing menace of stray dogs in the city, which needs immediate attention from the authorities concerned. A spectator said stray dogs were a common sight around the stadium. They also pose a threat to players and the visitors. However, this problem extends beyond the stadium. Several areas, including upscale neighbourhoods on Garha Road, Model Town, Cool Road, Ladowali Road among others are facing a similar situation. Even stray dogs can be frequently spotted on the Civil Hospital premises and the District Administration Complex. Radhika, a resident of Garha, expressed concern over a large number of stray dogs in the area. She recounted a recent Continued on page 2