16042024-LT-01.qxd 4/16/2024 12:56 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune NO CLARITY ON FEE ISSUE AS PARENTS, SCHOOLS DIFFER 7 KG HEROIN, ~36 LAKH DRUG MONEY SEIZED DUA LIPA ANNOUNCED AS HOST FOR SNL MAY EPISODE With onset of new session, parents are a worried lot as some schools have hiked tuition fee manifold. P2 CIA arrests a drug peddler having links with cross-border smugglers, recovers heroin and drug money.P3 Dua Lipa gears up for sensational return to the iconic show, not just as a musical guest, but as its host as well.P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 33°C | MIN 21°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 20°C SUNSET TUESDAY 6.50 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5:53 AM » TUESDAY | 16 APRIL 2024 | LUDHIANA Ludhiana, April 15 Following the death of a seriously injured suspect allegedly involved in the snatching of a mobile phone, his two purported accomplices have been booked for allegedly causing death due to negligence. Probe on to know whether he was hurt due to falling from bike or assaulted by public The deceased, 22-year-old Sawan, allegedly fell from a motorcycle while trying to flee with his accomplices, Sawan Birla and Sabba, after ‘snatching’ a mobile phone in Phase 6 of Focal Point, here. After ‘falling’ from motorcycle, Sawan was then caught by the public. It is yet to be determined whether the deceased sustained severe injuries solely from ‘falling’ from the motorcycle or he was assaulted by public. The Focal Point SHO said a probe was on. Based on a statement provided by his brother Amit from Moti Nagar, the victim’s accomplices, Birla and Sabba, have been booked for allegedly causing his death by negligence. Amit alleged that his brother had fallen into bad company, indulging in drug use and incidents of snatching. On April 13, Birla took Sawan for a ride on his bike, during which they, along with Sabba, allegedly committed a snatching. While trying to evade arrest, Sawan fell from the bike. He was caught by the public. His accomplices had managed to escape. Later, he was rushed to the Civil Hospital by a passer-by, where he died. — TNS Wheat procurement: 2,150 MT arrives in dist mandis EPFO recovers ~30.22 cr from 49 defaulter establishments Manav Mander Tribune News Service Settles 2.95 lakh claims worth ~898 crore in 2023-24 fiscal Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 The Ludhiana Regional Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recovered a sum of Rs 30.22 crore from 49 defaulter establishments during the financial year 2023-24. It was almost 94 per cent of the total demand and arrears of dues assessed before April 1, 2023, which were supposed to be paid till March 31, 2024. Besides, the Union Labour and Employment Ministry’s social security provider to employees’ working in public, private establishments and cooperative societies in the shape of provident fund, pension and insurance schemes also settled as many as 2.95 lakh claims amounting to Rs 898 crore during the previous fiscal. Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-1 (RPFC-1) Saurabh Swami told The Tribune here on Monday that the Ludhiana regional office of the EPFO maintains almost 21.2 lakh accounts of employees working at 14,991 establishments across the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, with a special focus and priority to serve its subscribers in the best possible manner. He disclosed that the EPFO regional office had settled as many as 2,94,665 claims (all types) amounting to Rs 89,784.6 lakh dur- The EPFO office in Ludhiana. FILE PHOTO TELLING NUMBERS HEAD ■ Recovery ■ Claims disbursed ■ Rejection ratio ■ Total covered establishments ■ New subscribers ■ Total accounts ■ Grievances received, settled ■ Pensioners ■ Life certificates received ■ Industrial accident cases 2023-24 3,022.02 89,784.6 23.48% 14,991 1,09,307 21,19,657 3,362 31,277 25,059 11 2022-23 3,131.11 69,000.87 25.27% 13,962 1,03,185 20,94,179 3,018 29,689 24,436 NIL (SOURCE: EPFO, AMOUNT IN RUPEES LAKH, FIGURES TILL MARCH 31) ing the last finanWhile the recovery cial year 2023-24. of Rs 2,822.62 lakh Besides, the recovwas made under ery wing of the LudSections 7A, 14B and hiana centre had 7Q of the Employalso recovered a sum ees’ Provide Fund of Rs 3,022.02-lakh and Miscellaneous from 49 defaulter Saurabh Swami, Provisions Act, 1952, establishments dur- Regional PF the arrear demand of ing the last fiscal in Commissioner-I Rs 199.4 lakh was current demand as recovered under per the dues assessed during Sections 8B to 8G of the Act 2023-24, which was up to 94 by resorting to bank attachper cent of the total demand ments and other mode of offiand arrear dues assessed cial mechanism. before April 1, 2023. “Under Section 7A of the EPF & MP Act, 1952, inquiries for determination of dues have been completed and disposed of against 49 defaulter establishments during 2023-24,” he said. Swami said the EPFO, Ludhiana regional office, had a total of 31,227 pensioners of which as many as 25,059 life certificates had been received till March 31. “Our office had been regularly holding the PRAYAS programme and distributing pension payment orders (PPOs) among our retired subscribers on the same day of retirement,” he said. The RPFC-1 said the Ludhiana EPFO had already fixed 27 of every month as ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat’ (EPFO near you), an outreach programme to listen to grievances of the provident fund members and redress them on a priority basis. “During the financial year 2023-24, we had received a total of 3,362 grievances, all of which had been redressed in the minimum possible time, with no plaint left pending with the office,” he divulged while seeking the cooperation of establishments covered under the EPF and the MP Act, 1952, in the district for ensuring uninterrupted, hassle-free and timely service to subscribers and PF members. Swami added that 11 industrial accident cases had been reported during the previous fiscal, which were continued on page 2 Ludhiana, April 15 Wheat arrival in mandis is slowly and steadily picking up pace in the district. Till now, 2,150 MT of wheat has arrived in the grain markets so far. Still, there are many mandis which are yet to receive wheat. With inclement weather conditions, farmers are worried about their produce lying in the grain markets while the district administration has assured them of the adequate arrangements for covering heaps of grains brought by the farmers in the mandis. According to the Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology of the PAU, the weather was expected to remain partly cloudy over Ludhiana and its adjoining areas during the next 24 hours. District mandi officer Gurmitpal Singh said wheat had not arrived in all mandis in the district and the arrival was slowly picking up pace. “All necessary arrange- ARRIVAL SLOWLY PICKING UP PACE District mandi officer Gurmitpal Singh said wheat had not arrived in all mandis in the district and the arrival was slowly picking up pace. ments were already put in place due to rain forecast. Sufficient number of tarpaulins were made available in grain markets. All heaps and purchased bags of wheat have been covered,” he said. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney had ordered officials from the Food, Civil and Supplies Department, Mandi Board, and procurement agencies to regularly visit grain markets in their respective jurisdictions. The aim was to ensure prompt purchase and hassle-free lifting of wheat. “Officials should ensure elaborate arrangements are in place by involving the entire government machinery to purchase the golden harvest of farmers as soon as it arrives in the markets. A fool-proof mechanism must be implemented to ensure farmers do not face any inconvenience in the mandis,” she said. She also appealed to farmers to bring moisture-free grains to the markets and avoid burning wheat straw, which causes pollution. Sant Singh, a farmer from Sarinh village, said he had harvested his crop but it had not been taken to the grain market yet. “I have noticed there are no proper covered area in the market due to which we have to cover the same with tarpaulin but it even fail to ensure safety if there is downpour. I have stored it safely in the godown and will take it to the mandi once the weather is clear,” he said. Another farmer from Lalton village said he had harvested his crop and taken it to the grain market also. “Since not many farmers have taken their produce to the market, I ensured to secure my produce under the shed. It is safe in the market and I am relieved,” he said. ASHWANI DHIMAN Snatching suspect gets injuries, dies; two aides booked Wheat at Gill Road grain market is kept under shed keeping in view of the inclement weather conditions. People will help BJP win all 13 Lok Admn teams encourage people to cast vote Sabha seats in state, says Sampla INDIA VOTES 2024 Ludhiana, April 15 Former state president of the BJP and former union minister of state Vijay Sampla said the BJP’s manifesto was a roadmap to fulfil the dream of developed India by 2047. Addressing mediapersons here, Sampla said the people of the state would help the BJP win all 13 seats. Talking about the manifesto, Sampla said party follows the policy of fulfilling what it says. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forward the vision of developed India in front of the country. Sampla said the PM during release of the manifesto on Sunday called upon the people to give a mandate to the BJP to shape the ‘destiny’ of India for the next 1,000 years. Special attention was given to the middle class. Starting from providing cheap houses, gas pipelines and easy transport facilities to the public, the BJP had done e tremendous job to upgrade the life of the masses in the country. “Work on the BJP’s Sankalp Patra will start after the poll results of June 4. The government is already working on the 100-day action. The ambition of 140 crore people is Modi’s mission,” Sampla said. The party will move forward more rapidly on the mantra of reform, perform and transform. Necessary infrastructure will be created in the country for good gover- nance, digital governance and data governance. “We will emerge as a big power in space. We will move ahead with a roadmap. It will bring many opportunities for the youth, which cannot even be imagined. There is uncertainty in the world, there are war-like situations, there is tension. In such times of crisis, the safety of Indians is a priority,” the BJP leader said. He said on every front, the BJP government would provide all necessary benefits to the people of the country, if it comes to power again. — TNS Ludhiana, April 15 In a bid to achieve the target of more than 70 per cent voter turnout during the Lok Sabha2024 elections, teams of the administration are actively involved in door-to-door awareness drives wherein eligible residents are being encouraged to exercise their ‘right to vote’. Working under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, awareness activities are also being conducted in villages and urban areas of the district. On Monday, door-to-door awareness events were held in different areas of the district, including Labour chowk in Samrala, Leelan Megh Singh village in Jagraon and Mehman Singh Wala village in the Pakhowal block. Voter awareness programmes are being organised at common places of the villages too. Besides, students from different Dakha schools performed short skits and pupils of Senior National High School conducted an awareness rally near Aarti Chowk to sensitise the residents. Rangoli and mehndi competitions were held at GGN Public School near Rose Garden, Government Senior Secondary School near Bharat Nagar chowk, Government School in Sahnewal, etc. Voter registration and awareness camps were also organised in Textile Colony, Government College Sidhsar (Payal), DD Jain College in Kidwai Nagar, etc. While registered voters are being urged to vote, eligible residents who are yet to register themselves are being appealed to get themselves enrolled as electors. The eligible residents can use ‘Voter Helpline’ mobile application and National Voter Services Portal (NVSP) for enrolling themselves as voters. The residents can also visit www.nvsp.in to register themselves as voters. They can enrol themselves as voters by May 3, 2024. District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Deputy Commis- Loh-Langar land row: Residents feel cheated, anxious about future Harshraj Singh Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 Residents of New Mandeep Colony in Lohara found themselves in a distressing situation, feeling deceived, as plots they purchased were part of the land belonging to LohLangar, where sale and purchase were prohibited. They alleged that the plots were ‘fraudulently’ sold to them by certain property dealers and politicians, leaving them now anxious about their future. Many of the victims are financially weaker migrants hailing from other states. Following their complaints, 14 individuals have already been booked for allegedly orchestrating the illicit sale of plots in New Mandeep INDERJEET VERMA Poor people targeted; victims allege Municipal Corporation officials failed to stop suspects from selling plots to them five years ago At New Mandeep Colony, a board displays an order prohibiting the purchase and sale of any Loh-Langar land, as per court orders. MANY OF VICTIMS ARE MIGRANTS The victims alleged that the plots were ‘fraudulently’ sold to them by certain property dealers and politicians. Many of the victims are financially weaker migrants hailing from other states. Colony, developed in an unauthorised manner across 16 acres of Loh Langar land. The residents alleged that neither the Municipal Corporation nor the administration officials had taken timely action to stop the suspects from selling plots on the land in 2019. The officials only acted to issue a warning after 150200 houses were constructed on the land. They claimed that a board displaying an order prohibiting the purchase and sale of any Loh Langar land, according to court orders, was displayed in May 2023. On Monday, a group of residents at New Mandeep Colony said had they been informed timely about the true status of the land belonging to Loh Langar/mahants, they would not have spent their life savings to purchase plots in the colony. They alleged that Avtar Singh, Nirmal Singh SS (who is the father-in-law of a former councillor) and Mandeep Jindal were the key individuals who sold them plots. They said Avtar and Nirmal were among the 14 suspects listed in the FIR. However, the resi- c m y b dents also alleged that they mentioned Mandeep Jindal in the complaint but his name was not included in the FIR by the police. They demanded justice from the government. Expressing anguish, a 58year-old man said: “Most of the houses belong to poor people and many of them come from other states. After the previous Municipal Corporation elections, the process of selling plots on the land began. But no MC or administration officials intervened to stopped the suspects from selling plots five years ago.” He said: “The plots were sold to them in instalments by property dealers and politicians without disclosing the truth that the land belongs to Loh Langar/mahants. Plot reg- istries were issued to a number of buyers. I have spent all my life savings to construct my house here. When a complaint was made by somebody to the government, a board was displayed at the colony, stating that the land belongs to Loh Langar and cannot be purchased or sold as per court orders. Where should we go now? We have been cheated. We want justice,” he said. Those booked in the case so far include Iqbal Singh, Avtar Singh, Nirmal Singh SS, Guljinder Singh, Gurnam Singh, Daljit Singh Jhajj, Jasminder Singh, Jasvir Singh, Simranjit Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Kuljeet Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Parveen Kumar Gupta and Varinder Kumar Ohri. Residents also demanded to register FIRs against the other suspects. An RTI activist, Rashpal Singh, said he had also complained to the Vigilance Bureau against the illegal sale and purchase of the plots in the colony illegally developed on the Loh Langar land. He also raised questions over the role of the then MC officials for not stopping the suspects from selling plots to the victims in the past. He alleged that the miscreants were influential persons and they targeted poor people for selling the plots. MC chief Sandeep Rishi said an inquiry in the matter was also being conducted by the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Department of Local Bodies. Meanwhile, a police official had earlier stated that the probe was on in the case. sioner (DC) Sakshi Sawhney said the aim of the district administration was to ensure maximum participation during the Lok Sabha-2024 elections and to achieve the target of more than 70 per cent voter turnout during the Lok Sabha elections. She appealed the residents to cast their vote on the polling day (June 1) for a stronger democracy, which would also help build a better future for coming generations. The DEO said the administration was making all efforts to facilitate the voters, including persons with disabilities (PwDs), at polling stations, so that they could comfortably cast their votes. — TNS Arrest killers of VHP leader, seek protesters Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Ludhiana, and Bajrang Dal held a protest march, seeking justice in the recent killing of Nangal VHP president Vikas Prabhakar Bagga. Demanding the arrest of the suspects, they carried out a protest march from Friends Regency on Ferozepur Road to the DC Office. They said Prabhakar was brutally killed when he was present at his shop in Nangal. They demanded that the suspects must be arrested immediately. They sought from the government a compensation of Rs 1 crore for his family and a government job for his spouse.
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