05032024-LT-01.qxd 3/5/2024 12:55 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune PUPILS RUSH TO SEEK ADMISSION AT SCHOOL OF EMINENCE MALERKOTLA COPS CRACK DOWN ON MISCREANTS KANPUR’S VAIBHAV GUPTA WINS INDIAN IDOL 14 School of Eminence at Indrapuri was inaugurated by Punjab CM and his Delhi counterpart on Sunday. P2 Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the Malerkotla police tighten noose around anti-social elements. P3 Kanpur’s Vaibhav Gupta was awarded with a cheque of ~25 lakh and a Brezza car in a ceremony. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 23°C | MIN 9°C YESTERDAY MAX 22°C | MIN 7°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.28 PM » SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:47 AM TUESDAY | 5 MARCH 2024 | LUDHIANA Dhandari Kalan railway station set to get facelift by next month Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 4 The railway station at Dhandari Kalan, located on the Ambala-Ludhiana-Amritsar line under the Ferozepur division in Ludhiana district, will get a new look by next month, the Northern Railway has said. The work on the major revamp and upgrade plan at the cost of Rs 17.6 crore has reached an advanced stage of completion with over 70 per cent progress already achieved, officials have confirmed. This is the second railway station after Ludhiana city in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, to be upgraded under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Yojana’ of the railways. As many as 508 junctions have been covered under the ambitious scheme for remodelling and redevelopment across the country, the officials have said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the major upgrade projects of the Ludhiana and Dhandari Kalan railway stations among others in the country on August 6 last year through video conferencing. Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana, Sanjeev Arora, who reviewed the progress of the project here recently, told The Tribune, on Monday that a host of facilities and amenities would be introduced and upgraded at the Dhandari Kalan railway station under the plan being undertaken by the railway authorities. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member in the Upper House of Parliament from Punjab was briefed by the railway authorities that HIMANSHU MAHAJAN Work on ~17.6-crore revamp, upgrade plan in advanced stage of completion CURRENT STATUS Physical progress Financial progress Deadline 70% 68% April 2024 JUNCTIONS TO BE REVAMPED Station Ludhiana Chandigarh Dhandari Kalan Mohali Patiala Ferozepur Cantt Sirhind Kotkapura Abohar Mansa Amount 460 436 17.6 23.2 47.5 27.6 25.1 23.7 21.1 26 Work on to revamp and upgrade the railway station at Dhandari Kalan in Ludhiana on Monday. (SOURCE: NORTHERN RAILWAY, AMOUNT IN RUPEES CRORE) the ongoing work had already achieved 70 per cent physical progress and 68 per cent financial progress with the targeted date of completion fixed as April. Arora was told that the major passenger amenities to be provided included a 12metre-wide foot overbridge with 775-sq m façade ramp, a 200-sq m general waiting hall, a 110-sq m air-conditioned waiting room, a 110-sq m executive lounge and a 160-sq m entry porch. Besides, a 1,838-sq m circular area, three passenger platforms — each measuring 8,150 sq m, 1,350 sq m, and 850 sq m, 90-sq m toilet block, 990sq m parking lot, including 750-sq m commercial parking area, 210-sq m green area, five booking enquiry windows, 300-sq m parcel shed, 400-sq m future commercial development area and improved signage as per the CSTM station will also be provided. The project also entails a of railway stations. It involves creating master plans and executing them in phases to enhance various station facilities, including better station accessibility, waiting areas, toilet facilities, cleanliness, offering free Wi-Fi, setting up kiosks for local products, one station, one product, enhanced passenger information system, establishing executive lounges, landscaping and catering and special facilities for differently abled. Furthermore, the scheme emphasises on upgrading station structures, integrating stations with surrounding city areas on both sides, promoting multimodal connectivity, providing facilities for individuals with disabilities, implementing sustainable and ecofriendly solutions, when required, and considering the feasibility and phasing of improvements. The ultimate goal is to transform these stations into vibrant city centres over long term. baby feed room spanning 10 sq m, two kiosks and a ceremonial flag. The Non-Suburban Grade (NSG)-5 category station, Dhandari Kalan caters to 10 trains with an average of 200 passengers that halt here daily on the existing three platforms. Located on National Highway-44, the Dhandari Kalan station is one of the busiest junctions in Ludhiana and serves as a major transportation hub for both passengers and goods, connecting Ludhiana with the rest of the country. The station offers a wide range of facilities for the convenience of passengers. Besides a separate platform for long-distance trains, at present, it has two platforms for different trains that halt and pass through the station. Besides Dhandari Kalan and Ludhiana, the Kotkapura railway station in Faridkot has been approved for revamp at the cost of Rs 23.7 crore, Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib at Rs 25.1 crore, Ferozepur Cantonment at Rs 27.6 crore, Abohar in Ferozepur at Rs 21.1 crore, Mansa at Rs 26 crore, Mohali at Rs 23.2 crore and Patiala railway station will be upgraded at the cost of Rs 47.5 crore. MP’s push Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora had been demanding the upgrade of Ludhiana and Dhandari Kalan railway stations outside and inside the Parliament. “Ludhiana being an industrial hub where thousands of commuters add up a major chunk of workforce that rely on railway services for commuting,” said Arora, who had been demanding to upgrade the stations while also seeking new Shatabdi trains and adding new bogies to existing trains. Know the scheme The Amrit Bharat Station scheme has a long-term vision for the ongoing development After feud between 2 families, 85-yr-old crushed under SUV Tribune News Service Four persons booked on murder charge, two of them arrested Ludhiana, March 4 After a conflict arose between two families residing in Himanyupura village in Ludhiana district, an 85year-old man was murdered on Kheri village road. The suspects reportedly rammed their SUV into the motorcycle being ridden by the victim, identified as Hari Ram, before crushing the elderly man’s head under the vehicle’s tyres. The victim, who was critically injured in the incident, succumbed to his injuries later. The police registered a murder case against four persons, identified as Kulwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Sikandar Singh and Sarabjit Kaur of Himanyupura. Kul- winder and Sarabjit Kaur have been arrested so far. Birpal Singh, son of the deceased, from Himanyupura village near Kheri, alleged that Kulwinder Singh had abused him on the evening of March 1 when he was going home. He said he and his father had then gone to file a police complaint against the suspect. Around 9:10 pm, when he and his father on a motorcycle entered Kheri Road from Lalton, the suspects came in a Mahindra Bolero. He alleged that they rammed their SUV into his motorcycle with the intention Miscreants booked for assaulting man Pass MSP bill for 23 crops in Vidhan Sabha: LIP chief Ludhiana, March 4 Unidentified individuals armed with a weapon have been booked for allegedly assaulting a man at Chitti Colony in Bhattian Bet village. Complainant Sunita Rani alleged that her father-in-law and other family members were present in the house when the incident occurred. When the miscreants knocked on the main gate of the house recently, she went outside to check. They asked her to send Laddi outside. When she refused to open the gate, the suspects began knocking forcefully on it. When her father-in-law came out, one of them assaulted him. In the meantime, his pistol fell on the spot. The suspects managed to escape when they raised the alarm. On Sunday, a case under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act was registered. — TNS Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 4 Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) chief Simarjeet Singh Bains accused the state government of allegedly failing to fulfil promises made to farmers during the previous Assembly election campaign. He demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mannled AAP government in the state should bring a bill in the Vidhan Sabha session to provide MSP for 23 crops. Bains said the state government should prioritise providing MSP for crops, instead of engaging in politics regarding agricultural issues. During the last election campaign, Bhagwant Mann had promised to provide MSP for all 23 crops if AAP came to power in the state. But nothing had been done to date, he alleged. Two friends booked Farmers seek compensation for damaged crops for raping 19-yr-old Manav Mander Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 4 Two men have been booked for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl in a colony falling under the jurisdiction of the Meharban police station. One of the suspects has been identified as Varinder Singh while his friend is yet to be identified. The victim complained to the police that on November 21, 2023, Varinder’s wife asked her to hand over their house keys to her husband. When she went to give the keys to him, the man forcefully took her into the house and raped her twice, the complainant alleged. She alleged that Varinder raped her again in January this year. She alleged that later, he took her to someone’s house in Golden Colony where he and his friend raped her. — TNS Ludhiana, March 4 Rain accompanied by wind and hailstorm has caused damage to crops and farmers are demanding compensation from the government. Wheat, mustard, potato and fodder crops have been damaged after the recent rain and hail. The recent rain has caused damaged in almost the entire region. Gursharan Singh from Maachiwara said his entire wheat crop had flattened. “We have only crops through which we earn for the entire year. The government should release the compensation at the earliest,” he said. Another farmer from Jodhan said last year also, his crop got destroyed but he had not received the compensation so far. “Now again, the Almighty has been unkind. The government should release the compensation so that we have some assistance,” he said. Paramjeet Singh from Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) added that farmers had great hopes from the government but nothing had changed for them. “Earlier also they had to move from pillar to post and same is the case now also. If the compensation is given, it is given late and till then the farmer has already went through difficult times but most of the time, it is not provided. One has to run from pillar to post to get the compensation and many times, the farmers are unable to do so,” he said. Kulwinder Singh from Sidhwan Bet said the hailstorm had caused much harm to their crop. “All my hard work had gone in vain. Now, there is no hope for future,” he added. Nothing is stable before God’s plan, said Birinder Singh from Jagraon. “I had wheat, potato and mustard crops and more than 60 per cent of my crop was damaged in the rain. I thought of making some extra bucks but everything was destroyed by the rain. Now, compensation is the only hope and I request the government to release it at the earliest,” he said. Jail inmates turn sportsmen, 18 taking part in Prison Olympics ARE CONVICTS IN HEINOUS CASES Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 4 Inculcating a sense of sportsmanship in jail inmates with a clear motive to make them good human beings, the Central Jail, Ludhiana, has sent 18 jail inmates for taking part in the Prison Olympics-2024. Interestingly, these inmates-turned-sportsmen are convicts in murder, rape and other heinous cases and the Punjab Jail Department has taken the initiative to make them a part of the mainstream whenever they will come out of jail after completing their imprisonments. Shivraj Singh Nandgarh, The inmates-turned-sportsmen are convicts in murder, rape and other heinous cases and the Punjab Jail Department has taken the initiative to make them a part of the mainstream. superintendent, Central Jail, said 18 inmates were chosen after judging their skills in various sports disciplines and the Jail Department hopes that the inmates would win the Olympics. Kanwar Surteg Singh, deputy superintendent at the Central Jail, said inmates chosen for the Olympics were well trained as they were given training in respective sports disciplines in which they were taking part. Sports in which inmates are taking part are volleyball, tug of war, badminton, kabaddi, 100m race, 400m race, 60m race, etc. Initially, zonal competitions of the Ludhiana jail inmates were being held from March 4 to March 10 at the Kapurthala jail and afterwards, winners of these games would be sent to the Central Jail, Patiala, where finals would take place on March 30 and March 31. “Inmates lodged in the Central Jail showed keen interest in the Olympics and after analysing their c m y b skills in sports, they were chosen on a merit basis. Of the 18, a few inmates had also taken part in the Prison Olympics -2021 but a majority of the new inmates have been chosen. Other inmates had also wished good luck to the chosen ones while they were leaving to take part in the games,” he said. Meanwhile, jail officials said selected inmates were given special training inside the jail and some of the elderly inmates having knowledge of different sports disciplines had also given training to the participants. Even lecture of of killing them. Birpal alleged that when he and his father fell on the road, the suspects reversed the car and ran over his father’s head, leaving him severely injured. Afterwards, Hari Ram was rushed to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he died. He said a PCR motorcycle was also coming behind them when he and his father were returning home on the motorcycle. The PCR vehicle was around 100 m away when the incident occurred. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered at the Sadar police station against the suspects on Sunday. ASI Kulvir Singh, who is investigating the case, however, said the PCR vehicle was not present when the incident occurred. experts were also organised for honing skills of the inmates in sports. Star players Shishu Pal, a convict in a rape case facing 10 years imprisonment, is a well-trained player of the Central Jail in tug of war and badminton. Hardeep facing 20 years’ imprisonment in a murder case is trained in 100m and 400m races. Amaninder Singh facing 20 years’ jail in a murder case is the captain of the kabaddi team of the Central Jail. Hardeep Singh, alias Bachi, plays like a pro in long jump and 400m events. Participants Amaninder Singh, Pardeep Singh, Vijay Pal Singh, Vicky, Sandeep Singh, alias Rimpa, Manpreet Singh, alias Babbu, Sachin Bhati, Shishu Pal, alias Pankaj, Suraj Pratap Singh, Hardeep Singh, alias Raju, Prableen Singh, alias Prabh Malra, Hardeep Singh, alias Deepak, Gagandeep, alias Amritpal Singh, Gurnam Singh, alias Gama, Rajinder Singh, alias Kaka Champa, Dalbir Singh, alias Kaka, Hardip Singh, alias Bachi, and Sukhvir Singh are taking part in the Prison Olympics. The LIP leader emphasised that if the AAP government really cares about farmers’ welfare, they should introduce the MSP bill in the Vidhan Sabha session as promised to the farmers. He claimed that the Chief Minister had pledged to provide MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission’s report for all 23 crops to farmers. However, even after two years, Bhagwant Mann has yet to fulfill his promises. Bains alleged that Mann was enacting a drama over the MSP issue in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He alleged that the farmers suffered greatly during the floods last year but had failed to receive compensation. He alleged that there was a vast difference between government’s words and actions. BJP sends five names for Lok Sabha ticket Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 4 An important meeting of higher-ups of the BJP was held at Chandigarh today. The meeting was held under the leadership of state party president Sunil Jakhar. It was attended by many seasoned leaders and loyalists of the party. According to reliable sources, a few names were shortlisted and sent to the party high command for consideration for the Ludhiana parliamentary seat and other segments also. They said keeping in mind candidates’ image, loyalty with the party, works done by him or her and other things, a few names were selected and sent. “The ultimate decision would be taken by the party,” the sources said. The names shortlisted and sent are Jiwan Gupta, Parvin Bansal, former IAS SS Channi, Anil Sarin and Parminder Brar. “We never know if tomorrow the party selects someone else for the same. Our responsibility was to shortlist the names and send to the high command” said a leader who attended the meeting.