08022024-LT-01.qxd 2/8/2024 12:57 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune YEAR ON, DORAHA CIVIL HOSPITAL AWAITS INAUGURATION TOM HOLLAND TO MAKE THEATRE COMEBACK ALISON, DAVE TO FEATURE IN HORROR FILM TOGETHER Newly built Doraha Civil Hospital building is awaiting inauguration even after more than a year of its completion. P2 Hollywood star Tom Holland set to return to stage with a new iteration of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.P4 Hollywood actor-couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie set to star together in an upcoming horror film. P4 » » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 19°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 18.2°C | MIN 4.8°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.07 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:13 AM THURSDAY | 8 FEBRUARY 2024 | LUDHIANA Two agents booked for committing ~11-lakh fraud Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 7 Two travel agents have been booked for allegedly committing a fraud amounting to Rs 11.31 lakh with a resident of Hamlok Enclave on Hambran Road, here. The suspects have been identified as Amit Kumar Ahuja of Shanti Nagar and Jagjeet Singh Nikku of Ekta Colony in Ludhiana. The complainant, Harwant Singh, alleged that the duo, Amit Kumar and Jagjit Singh, had taken Rs 11.31 lakh from him with the promise of sending his daughter to Canada. He alleged that despite taking the money, they failed to fulfil their commitment of sending his daughter to that country. Furthermore, they did not return the money, he alleged. A case under Sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at the Division Number 8 police station. 26-yr-old woman dies by suicide Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 7 A 26-year-old woman, the mother of a two-month-old child, allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself at Satguru Nagar here. The deceased was identified as Archana. The incident came to light when her brother-in-law returned home. On seeing the hanging body of the victim, he raised an alarm. After receiving information, the police reached the scene. Later, the body was sent for autopsy. 3 yrs on, wait for ~3,394-cr 24x7 Market committee employee caught accepting ~30K bribe water supply project continues Even 5 months after qualifying bidders, work yet to be allotted Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 7 The 24x7 canal-based surface drinking water supply project has not yet taken off on the ground even three years after the ambitious project was conceived, officials have confirmed. Even after two of the total four bids that had been received for the Rs 3,394.45crore World Bank (WB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) project had been found technically qualified almost five months ago, the work has not yet been awarded, it is learnt. The Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) would soon award the work following the formal nod from the WB, the Municipal Corporation has said. The development assumes significance as the wait for the ambitious project was still continuing even three years after its inception during the previous Capt Amarinder Singh regime. Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora told The Tribune on Wednesday that the state government had taken up the mega project on a priority basis and all-out efforts were being made to kick-start the ground work at the earliest. Arora, who reviewed the progress of the scheme here recently, was briefed by MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi that the tender for the execution of the project was called by the PMIDC, as per the detailed project report An aerial view of Ludhiana. TRIBUNE PHOTO MUCH-NEEDED PROJECT FOR CITY ❝ It is the much-needed project for Ludhiana, where the groundwater table is depleting by 0.5 to 1 meter every year. By getting quality potable water round-the-clock, residents will also get respite from heavy metals and radioactive elements present in the groundwater. It will also improve health conditions of the city population. ❞ — Sanjeev Arora, RAJYA SABHA MP (DPR) formally approved by the WB, following which four bids had been received. He apprised that the bids had also been opened and two bids had been found technically qualified on the basis of the technical evaluation report, following which the financial bids had also been opened. “Financial bids are under process at the level of the PMIDC, which would allot the work shortly,” Arora was told. The MC chief said the scheme would be executed in two phases with the first phase comprising raw water system, water treatment plant, treated water pumping and transmission mains from water treatment plant to overhead service reservoirs and the second part consist- ing distribution system and house service connection with metering process. “As of now, the work on the first phase will be executed with the WB support while the second part work will be taken up subsequently under other schemes,” Rishi apprised the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member in the Upper House of Parliament from Punjab. Under the project, as many as 137 overhead supply reservoirs (OHSRs) and 173-kmlong transmission main lines will supply 24x7 canal-based surface drinking water supply to residents of Ludhiana. “The objective of the project is to shift from groundwater to surface water while supplying the essential com- modity on a 24x7 basis,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. Arora said 53.02 acres of land located just adjacent to the proposed raw water source in Bilga village had already been purchased for setting up the WTP . The WB and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) had approved $105 million each in financial support for the ambitious project in March 2021. The WB and the AIIB had in March last approved their respective 35 per cent financial aid share of $105-million each for the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP) to strengthen the urban services in Ludhiana and Amritsar, the two largest cities in the state. The remaining 30 per cent share, which amounts to $90 million, will be borne by the state government. Salient features Salient features of Phase I works include design of per capita water supply at 150 litres per capita daily (LPCD), raw water source from a distributary from the Sidhwan Canal, construction of 580-MLD capacity WTP at Bilga village, laying of 173km-long transmission mainline of 150 mm to 2,000 mm and 55 new OHSRs. The resolution for volumetric water tariff had been approved by the MC General House on November 10, 2020, while the state government on August 24, 2022, had notified the setting up of the sevenmember WSS utility, headed continued on page 2 Ludhiana, February 7 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday nabbed Hari Ram, auction recorder of the Market Committee, Ludhiana, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. An official spokesperson for the state VB said today that the official had been arrested on the complaint of Sonu, a resident of Ashok Nagar, Salem Tabri, here, who is the secretary of the Gill Cooperative Labour and Construction Society, Ludhiana. He said the complainant had approached the VB and informed that their society used to take the cleaning contract of mandis, fish markets, etc, falling in the city. The cleaning contract of Kara-Bara Chowk, Bahadurke Road and near Sabji Mandi, Ludhiana, had been allotted to the society by the Market Committee for the period — April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. He alleged that committee employee Hari Ram had been demanding a bribe of Rs 30,000 every month in lieu of getting monthly bills of the society passed from the Secretary of the committee. He managed to record the conversation with the suspect while he was demanding the bribe and handed over the same to the VB as an evidence. The spokesperson said after preliminary probe of the complaint, a VB team laid a trap in which the suspect was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been registered and he would be produced in a court tomorrow. Further probe in the case was under progress and role of other officials would also be probed, he added. — TNS Vigilance arrests part-time MC employee on corruption charge Ludhiana, February 7 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday nabbed Harish Kumar, a parttime employee of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, when he was allegedly accepting the second instalment of bribe of Rs 6,000. Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson for the state VB said the suspect had been apprehended on the complaint of Jagdish Singh, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, here. He said the complainant had approached the VB and stated that he had to procure tax superintendent register number 1 (TS-1) certificate from the MC, Ludhiana, for getting transferred an ancestral house in his name. He met an employee, Harish Kumar, who introduced himself as a clerk in the house tax The suspect in VB custody. branch of the corporation, and he demanded a bribe money of Rs 10,000 from him for getting issued the TS-1 certificate of his house from the junior engineer concerned. The complainant alleged that the employee had taken Rs 4,000 from him on the spot and asked to give the balance money Rs 6,000 at the time of handing over the certificate to him. The complainant said the suspect was demanding the remaining amount through Google Pay but he did not know how to use the same and asked him to take cash. He recorded the entire conversation in his mobile and handed over the same to the VB as evidence so that the employee could be trapped. The spokesperson said after preliminary investigation of the complaint, a VB team from the Ludhiana range laid a trap and the apprehended the suspect when he was accepting bribe of Rs 6,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. A casehas been registered against him. He would be produced in court tomorrow. Further investigation in the case was under progress and role of other officials would also be probed, he said. — TNS Five target liquor vend, Minimum temperature drops to 4.8°C 2 held with 150-gm heroin rob man of mobile, cash Ludhiana, February 7 Miscreants targeted a liquor vend near Dhandari Kalan in Ludhiana and snatched Rs 4,000 and a mobile phone from an employee at the establishment. They also took away two cartons of liquor and cash from the vend. The complainant, Vikas Kumar, said he was present at the liquor vend when five unidentified persons barged into it and attacked him. The suspects forcibly took his mobile phone and snatched Rs 4,000 in cash from him. They took away two cartons of liquor and cash from the vend, as per his statement. On Tuesday, a case under Sections 379-B (2) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) had been registered at the Sahnewal police station against them. — TNS Ludhiana, February 7 The minimum temperature took a dip on Wednesday, reaching a bone-chilling 4.8°C. Despite the chilly weather conditions, sunshine gave a relief to residents. The maximum temperature for the day was recorded at 18.2°C. The weather is expected to remain cold on Thursday as well. The Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, PAU, forecasts that the cold and dry weather Students bask in the sun on PAU campus in Ludhiana. ASHWANI DHIMAN is expected to persist. There is also a likelihood of fog during morning hours, particularly in Ludhiana and its surrounding areas, over the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, the air quality index (AQI) stood at 107 (moderate) at 8 pm on Wednesday. When the AQI falls in the range of 101-200, it is considered moderate. Its health impact is that the people with pre-existing conditions such as respiratory issues, asthma and heart diseases may experience breathing discomfort, as per information. It underscores the importance of vigilance and precautions, particularly for those vulnerable to effects of air pollution. — TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 7 Two persons have been apprehended for allegedly carrying 150 gm of heroin at a checkpoint on the highway at Jhande village, here. The suspects have been identified as Tarlok Singh, a resident of New Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar and Manish Makkar of Deep Singh Nagar, Ludhiana. Sub-Inspector Amarjit Singh said the duo were traveling in a car when they were stopped for checking. He said 150 gm of heroin was seized from them. A case under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against the suspects at the Sarabha Nagar police station. Neglect of service lane sparks outcry, repairs sought 45 special camps to be held today Many e-rickshaws using lane following dismantling work on old Buddha Nullah bridge ‘AAP DI SARKAR, AAP DE DWAR’ Tribune News Service Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, February 7 The service lane stretching from Sabzi Mandi in Salem Tabri towards Chand Cinema is in a state of severe disrepair, posing inconvenience to commuters. The recent rainfall has worsened the situation as the stretch became slippery and now, it’s much harder for vehicles to move safely. A number of e-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers have started using the service lane due to the ongoing dismantling work on the old Buddha Nullah bridge near Chand Cinema on Old GT Road. Residents are now urging swift repairs to ensure the road’s functionality and alleviate hardships faced by commuters. The service lane stretch from Salem Tabri towards Chand Cinema in Ludhiana in a dilapidated condition. PHOTOS: INDERJEET VERMA Mandeep Kumar, a regular commuter, highlighted the dilapidated state of the service lane, underscoring the risk of slips for e-rickshaws and two-wheelers, especially after rainfall. Urgent repairs were imperative for the convenience and safety of com- muters. Moreover, it appears that the service lane lacks a proper rainwater drainage system, exacerbating issues. An e-rickshaw driver said they usually stay away from the turn near the closed old bridge on Old GT Road as there was a big chance of the e-rick- shaw tipping over on a downward slope. Instead, they pass through the service lane near Sabzi Mandi towards Chand Cinema. However, the deplorable condition of the lane seeks immediate attention. The Old Buddha Nullah bridge is at present undergo- c m y b ing dismantling, with plans for subsequent reconstruction. The traffic has been diverted. MC’s Superintending Engineer Sanjay Kanwar said he would look into the matter and instruct the Executive Engineer to initiate repairs of potholes on the road. Ludhiana, February 7 To deliver 44 types of services to the people at their doorsteps in special camps under ‘Aap Di Sarkar, Aap De Dwar’ programme, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney on Wednesday said a total of 45 camps would be held on Thursday in the district. The camps are being organised by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led AAP government for the welfare of residents. Sawhney said in Jagraon, the camps would be held in Wards 13, 14,15,16,17 and 18. In Khanna, the these would be held in Fatehpur, Wards 4 and 5, Ishanpur and Rohano Khurd. In Ludhi- ana East, the people can avail the facility in Dehlon Pohir, Dehlon Khera, Koom Bhagpur, Koom Karor, Koom Ghumait, Sahnewal Chak Sarwannath, Pangalpur and Wards 59, 60 and 61 under the MC, Ludhiana. Under Ludhiana West, the camps would be held in Ladian Khurd, Rajpura, Bhattian, Kutbewal Aariayan, Kadiyan, Fatehgarh Gujjran, Bonker Dogran and Talwandi Khurd. In Raikot, these will be held in Toosa, Halwara, Akalgarh and Rajoana Kalan. In Samrala, these will be held in Gehlewal, Tapprian, Poonia, Khokhar, Shamgarh, Shahbazpur, Tanda Zal and Muglewal. Under the MC, the camps will be held in Wards 34, 36, 38 and 39. For Payal sub-division, these will be held in Jeerakh, Rausiana, Jhamat, Jogimajra, Lehal and Dhaul Kalan. The Deputy Commissioner said during the camps, government services, including birth or death certificates, stipend to children of beneficiaries, SC certificate, registration of construction worker, BC certificate, addition of name in birth certificate, registration of marriage (compulsory), multiple cases of death certificate, correction of entry in birth certificate, issuance of death/NAC certificate, rural area certificate, multiple copies of birth certificate, General caste certificate, were being offered to the people. Sawhney exhorted the people to avail maximum benefit of the camps.
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