09042024-LT-01.qxd 4/9/2024 1:04 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune GOVT OFFICES FUNCTIONING SANS FIRE SAFETY CERTIFICATE FIREHOUSE MUSICIAN CJ SNARE IS NO MORE Hard rock band FireHouse frontman CJ Snare is no more. Snare passed away last week at the age of 64. P4 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 35°C | MIN 16°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 16°C KARTIK AARYAN, KARAN JOHAR SHARE A WARM HUG Government departments such as DC's office and civil hospital are functioning without fire NOC. P2 FORECAST On Sunday night, filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Kartik Aaryan spotted together at Mumbai airport. P4 » » SUNSET TUESDAY 6.51 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 6:04 AM » TUESDAY | 9 APRIL 2024 | LUDHIANA 17K new electors enrolled in one month, first-time voters over 53K 22K electorates above 85 yrs, EP ratio 680, gender ratio 876 INDIA VOTES 2024 Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 8 In what appears to be the outcome of the sustained campaign initiated by the district administration, almost 17,000 new voters have been enrolled across 14 Vidhan Sabha segments falling under the Ludhiana (9) and Fatehgarh Sahib (5) Lok Sabha constituencies in the district. While the count of first-time voters aged between 18 and 19 years has crossed the 53,000-mark, the aged electors aged 85 years and above were around 22,000. While the electoral population (EP) ratio, which is the count between the total number of electors enrolled against the projected population of the district, has risen from 668 to 680, the gender ratio as per the latest electoral rolls has gone up from previous 871 to 876. Spearheading the special campaign to enroll new voters and motivate the registered electorates to exercise their franchise, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer (DEO) Sakshi Sawhney has initiated a host of activities across educational institutions and other organisations involving social activists across the district. Sakshi told The Tribune here on Monday that the total count of voters in the district had increased from 26,54,344 as on March 1 to 26,71,045 on DC-cum-DEO Sakshi Sawhney administers oath to young voters to exercise their franchise in Ludhiana on Monday. TRIBUNE PHOTO ❝ AIM TO COVER ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS Our aim is to leave no eligible resident without registration as a voter. At the same time, we are also checking old entries to delete the names of deceased and those who had left the district, from the voters’ lists. For the same, we are holding a series of awareness and education drives across the district. — Sakshi Sawhney, DC-CUM-DEO ❞ April 2, which comprised 17,40,969 across nine Assembly segments, which were part of the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. She disclosed that the EP ratio had also gradually gone up from 668 as on October 27, 2023, when the draft electoral rolls were published, to 680 on April 2, while considering January 1, 2024, as the qualifying date to register the new voters in the district. The gender ratio as per the latest voters’ list has improved from 871 as on October 27, 2023, to 876 on April 2. The count of first-time voters, aged between 18 and 19 years, has reached 53,321 while electors aged 85 years and above were 21,987. Interestingly, the number of first-time voters has gone up from 47,749 as on January 22 to 53,321 on April 2, which accounted for an increase of 11.67 per cent in almost two months while the count of old voters aged 85 years and above has gone down to 21,987 on April 2, which saw a dip of 2.63 per cent. There were as many as 15,706 differently abled voters registered in the district, of which 9,549 were part of Ludhiana while the rest 6,157 will vote for the Fatehgarh Sahib segment. Of the total 4,979 service electorates in the district, 2,166 were part of Ludhiana while the rest 2,813 will exercise their franchise in Fatehgarh Sahib constituency. Besides, 95 NRI voters were also registered in the district, of which 64 will vote in Ludhiana while the rest 31 were part of the Fatehgarh Sahib LS seat. Of the total 2,919 polling stations across 1,410 locations in the district, 1,842 stations at 773 locations fall under Ludhiana while the rest 1,077 stations at 637 locations were Giaspura tragedy: Survivor’s quest for truth, justice on Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 8 As one year of the Giaspura gas tragedy is going to be completed soon, Gaurav Goyal, a survivor, said they were still awaiting justice. He expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation conducted so far, emphasising the need to uncover the truth and apprehend actual culprits. The incident occurred on the morning of April 30, 2023, resulting in the tragic deaths of 11 persons, including three minors, and injuring four others allegedly due to toxic gas inhalation. Area residents remained in shock and unaware of the truth behind the major tragedy. Gaurav, aged 37, said he lost three family members — his mother Kamlesh Goyal, younger brother Sourav Goyal and Sourav’s wife Preeti Goyal — in the tragedy. He said Sourav and Preeti’s son, Yug, who was just seven months old at the time of the incident, was currently staying with his maternal grandparents. Reflecting on the ordeal, Gaurav Goyal said while compensation had been received, justice remained elusive. Despite multiple INDERJEET VERMA One year to be completed soon, victim says need to nab culprits Gaurav Goyal, survivor of the gas tragedy, at his shop in Ludhiana. speculations about events of that day, the true cause of the incident remains unclear and perpetrators are yet to be apprehended. He stressed the importance of uncovering the truth behind the gas tragedy, particularly since 11 lives were lost, including those of his family members and neighbours. Gaurav, who runs a grocery store, recounted the foul odour in the area at the time of the tragedy, which rendered him unconscious till he regained consciousness in the hospital. He said despite multiple inquiries, actual reasons behind the tragedy remain uncertain, leading to his dissatisfaction with the ongoing investigation. He reiterated his demand for justice. Abhishek, a resident staying near the tragedy site, echoed similar sentiments, expressing frustration over lack of action to identify actual culprits so far. Air pollution remains a common problem even after the incident. There is a dire need to identify the culprits behind the tragedy so that such incidents can be averted in the future. Following the gas tragedy, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had formed an eightmember joint committee to conduct a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry. However, in October 2023, the NGT rejected findings of the initial report and formed a new committee for an independent investigation. In March 2024, the NGT concluded the case while requesting a fresh report on a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) run by a private firm in the area from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). part of the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency. While 1,460 polling stations at 515 locations, including 1,204 stations at 365 locations under the Ludhiana constituency, were located in urban areas, 1,459 polling stations at 638 locations, including 895 stations at 408 locations under the Ludhiana parliamentary seat, were spread across rural areas in the district. “The additional supplement of the voters lists will be published after the last day of nomination filing,” the DC said while divulging that Form 6 (application form for new voters) will be accepted till the last day of the nomination filing whereas Form 7 (application form for deletion of registered voters) and Form 8 (application form for correction in the entry of registered voters) will be kept pending for disposal till the final publication of the electoral rolls. Sakshi said the entire district election machinery had been fanned out to cover each nook and corner of the district with an aim to registering all eligible residents as voters and motivate them to exercise their franchise in large numbers to cross the 70 per cent voter turnout target. She said a special drive was also underway to ensure that each registered voter in the district was having the election photo identity cards (EPICs). Under the campaign, as many as 31,974 new EPICs had been printed during January and February, most of which had already been delivered to eligible voters through post or booth-level officers (BLOs). Slum dwellers’ settlements removed Ludhiana, April 8 The Municipal Corporation demolished temporary settlements of slum dwellers near Haibowal Chowk on Hambran Road, here, on Monday. In the absence of permanent roof, many poor people were staying in temporary settlements on a footpath along Hambran Road for the past some time. Articles of the dwellers were also damaged during the MC drive. After the action, they were seen managing the same. An official of the MC’s Tehbazari wing said slum dwellers were earlier given warnings to remove their settlements and a complaint was received for the removal of the same. — TNS Man booked for impregnating 16-year-old Two brothers among four nabbed in car robbery case Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 8 Following a complaint filed by a doctor, an unidentified man has been booked for raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl. A gynaecologist at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital lodged a complaint with the Sarabha Nagar police after the minor girl was taken to the Civil Hospital for some treatment. After the medical examination, the doctor found that the girl was pregnant and she had been sexually assaulted. According to information, the victim was brought to the hospital by her family members due to severe stomach pain. A case has been registered against the unidentified person under Sections 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at the Sarabha Nagar police station. The police have stated that further investigation is on in the matter. Ludhiana, April 8 Around three weeks after three miscreants took away a Hyundai i20 car from a city resident and his wife near Midha Chowk, near the Kochar Market police post, the police claimed to have arrested four persons, including two brothers, in connection with the incident. Police officials asserted that the suspects had sold the car to a scrap dealer. The suspects are identified as Gurdev Singh, alias Garry, and his brother Hardev Singh, alias Sherry, from Mitthe village in Ferozepur district, Jaswinder Singh from Goluwala village in Moga and Ajay Taneja from Radha Swami Nagar in Moga. A car and four two-wheelers were recovered from the suspects. Following a complaint filed by Narinder Singh of the Green Field area stating that his car had been robbed by unidentified individuals, a case under Sections 392, 365 and 34 of the IPC was registered on March 15. Narinder’s wife was in the vehicle when the suspects allegedly attempted to kidnap her but her husband managed to pull her out of the car. ACP Jatin Bansal and SHO Cops address mediapersons in Ludhiana. HIMANSHU MAHAJAN CASE REGISTERED OVER TWO WEEKS AGO Following a complaint filed by victim Narinder Singh of the Green Field area stating that his car had been robbed by unidentified individuals, a case was registered on March 15. Jagjeet Singh said today that four persons had been arrested in the case so far. Three others, Bobby and Zora Singh from Tarn Taran district and Amit Taneja from Moga, are yet to be apprehended. The officials said Garry and Sherry were arrested on April 5 and a Skoda car and two motorcycles were recovered from them. Following interrogation, Jaswinder and Ajay were also arrested. Two motorcycles were recovered from the former, the police said. The SHO said Garry and Sherry had sold the car to a scrap dealer and it was dis- mantled. Further probe was going on and recovery of more stolen cars and motorcycles was expected. Narinder, along with his wife, stopped their Hyundai i20 car at Midha Chowk to buy some medicines on the night of March 14 while going home. While he went to the shop, his wife was sitting in the vehicle. When the man returned, he was shocked to see that three miscreants were trying to drive away away their car. He managed to pull his wife out of the vehicle after which the miscreants fled the scene in the car. Free Quality Education (Preference to Girl Child) Horizon School of Excellence a unique initiative of Nehru Sidhant Kender Trust to provide free quality education to students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Inauguration on 9th April, 2024 Dr. S. Somanath Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation Four arrested for stealing ~3.80L Ludhiana, April 8 The police have arrested four persons in connection with the theft of Rs 3.80 lakh from the bag of a resident who had gone to deposit cash in the HDFC Bank branch at Sundar Nagar here on April 4. They had been identified as Gagandeep, Guddu, Rishi and Nitesh. After stealing the money, they escaped from the bank in a auto-rickshaw. The police said Rs 1.35 lakh was recovered from them. — TNS c m y b Chief Guest FREE uniforms, books & stationery and mid-day refreshments Well Trained Teachers Scan to visit the website 100% Smart Classrooms Modern pedagogy aligned with NCF (National Curriculum Framework) 100% Enrollment (300 students) Contemporary facilities Horizon School of Excellence (A project of Nehru Sidhant Kender Trust in partnership with Shri Gow Rakshni Sabha)
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