27062024-LT-01.qxd 6/27/2024 12:30 AM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune PUNJAB TO GET 13 NEW SOES BY AUG 15: EDU MINISTER KAMAL HAASAN: SHAH RUKH IS A CONNOISSEUR OF ART CLOWNING WITH FLUBBER & FRIENDS Harjot Singh Bains said the govt is set to establish 117 schools within the next year-and-a-half. P2 Haasan, who shared screen space with Shah Rukh in Hey Ram, has paid a heartfelt tribute to the superstar. P4 It’s not just about dressing up as a clown, the act involves a whole lot of skills, opines Martin D’souza. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 42°C | MIN 32°C YESTERDAY MAX 42°C | MIN 30°C SUNSET THURSDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 5:24 AM » THURSDAY | 27 JUNE 2024 | LUDHIANA Huge cache of drugs destroyed Uncertainty in steel prices irks bizmen Dragon ride shut, Ludhiana, June 26 The Police Commissionerate today destroyed a huge quantity of drugs recovered from the smugglers in the recent months to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal along with Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, Additional DCP Crime Amandeep Singh Brar went to the dyeing unit where drugs were destroyed. A videography of the same was also done at the plant. The drugs destroyed were recovered in 236 drug smuggling cases registered by the city police in the past. The drugs destroyed include 15.10 quintals of poppy husk, 11.16 kg heroin, 312 gram charas, 115 kg ganja, 1.38 kg drug powder, 9,552 intoxicating tablets, 25 gram ice and 2.57 poppy husk plants, added CP Chahal. “I reiterate the commitment of Ludhiana police to end drug menace,” said the CP — TNS . Unit owners write to authorities concerned to crack whip against ‘SMS mafia’ Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 26 Soon after the formation of the new government at the Centre, the SMS mafia has again become active, creating panic among industrialists. For the last five years, the mafia has been allegedly ruining their businesses by manipulating the steel prices and arbitrarily lowering and raising the rates. Steel companies fought a long legal battle against the SMS mafia, but they did not get any major success. Raising concern over the development, All Industries Trade Forum (AITF) has written to authorities concerned to intervene and keep a check on the sudden fluctuating prices of steel. Badish Jindal, president, AITF, said the SMS mafia determines the steel prices in the country in an unauthorised manner. The PRICES LOWERED BY ~4K/TONNE IN 20 DAYS ❝ The SMS mafia alters steel prices in the country in an unauthorised manner. It has lowered the prices by ~4,000 per tonne in 20 days. On June 4, the price of steel ingot was ~47,500 per tonne, which was lowered to Rs 43,500 per tonne on June 25. For the last five years, the SMS mafia is allegedly involved in Badish Jindal, PRESIDENT, AITF manipulation of steel prices, causing loss to industrialists. FILE PHOTO mafia alters the prices 4-5 times daily and sends the prices determined by it through over one million WhatsApp platforms in the country. Behind this price rise and fall are traders who deal in lakhs of tonnes of scrap and steel, who order the SMS mafia to raise and lower the prices according to their situation. Due to such a large number of SMSes being sent, the industries consider the prices sent by them as the basis. Jindal added that the mafia has lowered the prices of steel by Rs 4,000 ❞ per tonne in 20 days. On June 4, the price of steel ingot was Rs 47,500 per tonne, which was lowered to Rs 43,500 per tonne on June 25. There is no basis for this fall because there has been no major reduction in the prices of foreign scrap but the prices of scrap cops warn owner coming from the industries here have been lowered. Similarly, this SMS mafia had increased the price of steel ingot from Rs 42,000 to Rs 48,000 tonne in April and May, due to which the steel mafia made profits of billions of rupees and when this mafia sold all their stocks, the steel prices were reduced. According to information received from sources, now these big speculators are again accumulating stock at low prices and the SMS Mafia will keep the prices low till they collect a large stock and as soon as sufficient amount of stock is collected, this mafia will again increase the prices heavily in the coming days. Due to this fraud of theirs, steel furnaces making iron from scrap have started getting closed, said the AITF president. THE TRIBUNE IMPACT Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 26 After Ludhiana Tribune highlighted the issue of dragon ride installed at a fair on the Jassian road, the police sprang into action and stopped the operation of the ride. Apart from issuing a warning to the owner of the ride, the land owner was told to lease the land only to those contractors who fulfil all the safety protocols. Assistant Sub-Inspector Sukhjinder Singh said after getting to know about the dragon ride installed without following any safety procedures, the police visited the spot late last evening and shut the ride. "We had categorically told the person who installed the ride to shut the operations as it is not installed by following the required safety measures. Even the landlord who gave land was also warned to check the NOC before allowing installation of such rides because any negligence may invite a major mishap," added ASI Singh. Notably, it was observed that the dragon ride was installed on a dingy plot that was used for dumping garbage in the past. Reportedly, the agency had not obtained the no-objection certificate (NOC). Even no safety protocol is displayed at the ride to make the public feel safe. Notably, ferris wheels and some other rides had also been put up at some other places in the city and it is yet unclear ‘Walk-and-Run’ marathon to Dial helpline for support: DC to addicts raise awareness against drugs Ludhiana, June 26 DC Sakshi Sawhney on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the district-level committee under the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) to review the efforts being made to free Ludhiana of drugs. During the meeting, Sakshi, accompanied by Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal, said the district administration has been running a Sehyogi 24x7 helpline (0161-4257457) for Tribune News Service SSP Amneet Kondal takes part in the marathon to raise awareness against drugs in Khanna on Wednesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO ate awareness about the issues surrounding drug abuse. Kondal highlighted the efforts made by the police to combat drug abuse, noting that the community’s involvement is crucial for success. She also spoke about the initiatives undertaken by the government, including rehab and OOAT (Outreach Opioid Assisted Treatment) centers, to combat the drug menace and provide treatment to those in need. Kondal expressed hope that the event would have a lasting impact on the community and inspire them to take a stand against drug abuse. She also encouraged youngsters to make physical exercise a mandatory part of their lifestyle for healthy living. Police meet villagers over drug issue, assure action Ludhiana, June 26 After residents of Talwandi Kalan village caught some drug addicts, who came to the village to buy heroin, and blamed the police for not taking action against the smugglers residing in their village, ACP (West) Jasvir Gill and Inspector Veer Inder Singh today held a meeting with the villagers. Police officials assured them that they would identify the smugglers and take strict action against them. On Tuesday, villagers had cornered some drugs addicts who revealed that they had come to buy drugs from the village based smugglers. They had also given names of the smugglers to the villagers. — TNS 11 months after money looted at lottery shop, cops register case as HC intervenes Sarkar Tuhaade Dwaar camp held at Bhattian ~1.26 L, bike were snatched when sibling tried to prevent man from buying ticket Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 26 Eleven months after running from pillar to post to register a case against suspects who looted a motorcycle and Rs 1.26 lakh in cash from two persons in Moti Nagar area, a case was finally registered yesterday with the intervention of the High Court. The elderly father of one of the victims, despite facing challenges from the police department, didn’t give up and knocked the doors of the High Court for justice. The accused were identified as Gurvinder Singh alias Neetu alias Raman Gambhir, Arun Kumar and Gurwinder Singh Laddu. While filing a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Satwinder Singh, a resident of Ranjodh Park, The father of one of the victims holds a sit-in against the police. FILE Haibowal, stated that his son Kulwinder Singh went to a lottery stall at Cheema Chowk on July 30, 2023, to buy a ticket. When his other son Kamaljit Singh came to know about it, Kamaljit along with his friend Harpinder Singh reached the lottery stall to prevent Kulwinder from buying the lottery ticket. Meanwhile, three persons present at the lottery stall surrounded Kamaljit Singh and Harpinder. The accused pushed Kamaljit Singh and Harpinder Singh into the shop and robbed them of Rs 1.26 lakh and also snatched their motorcycle. Satwinder revealed that after the incident, he tried to lodge a complaint with several police officials, including the Moti Nagar police station, but in vain. Satwinder, who was very disappointed because of the dilly-dallying by the authorities, had filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek justice. On April 26, the High Court ordered the Ludhiana police to conduct a probe and file a case against the accused Notably, the complainant had also held a sit-in (dharna) in front of the office of the Police Commissioner but he was not heard. c m y b Ludhiana, June 26 The district administration organised a Sarkar Tuhaade Dwaar camp in Bhattian village on Tuesday. Karan Sharma from Bhattian Colony, who arrived at the camp with his mother Mamta to apply for a widow pension card, said his mother received the sanction letter for the pension within half an hour. Suresh Kumar Sharma from local Ajit Nagar also received the sanction letter for an oldaged pension at the camp. He praised the district administration for organising the camp, as he had been unable to visit the local office due to illness. Raj Rani, a widow, also obtained the widow pension sanction letter on the spot and commended the Sarkar Tuhade Dwar campaign. Hardeep Singh, who received AB-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna within an hour at the camp, also expressed appreciation for the initiative. — TNS other sports activities to sensitise young minds to drugs in these hotspot areas. The DC asked the Education Department to create awareness about the harmful effects of drugs in their institutions to make the district a drug-free zone. She ordered the Health Department to organise medical camps in Ludhiana and disseminate information regarding the harmful effects of drugs, OOAT, and rehab centres. — TNS SAFETY CERTIFICATE MANDATORY FOR RIDES ■ District Magistrate Sakshi Sawhney on Wednesday issued orders to ensure all agencies managing rides in kids play zones in various shopping malls/ markets etc. fulfil safety protocols in the district ■ The DM has ordered that all safety protocols for all rides, machines in kids play areas should be publicly displayed prominently for general public ■ The DM said all necessary certificates must be submitted to the MC and EOs of Nagar Councils in their respective jurisdictions within 15 days whether agency concerned at the helm has obtained any NOC or not. After the tragic incident at Nexus Elante Mall in Chandigarh in which an 11-year-old boy died while riding a toy train, DC Sakshi Sawhney had said that the administration would conduct checking of all kinds of rides and would not allow any ride to function which lacks safety measures. ~528-cr city railway station upgrade work in full swing Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 26 With the construction of a new main building and elevated approach road in advanced stage, the redevelopment and upgrade of the Ludhiana railway station at a cost of Rs 528.95 crore has gained full steam, the Northern Railway (NR) has said. The total project cost of Rs 528.95 crore included the contract value of Rs 472.94 crore, project management consultant cost of Rs 4.56 crore and other allied expenditures. Sharing details, the NR officials said the construction of the east side of the main station building has been completed up to composite level while the work on elevated approach road has also been done up to 17 pile caps and casting of 14 piers. The construction and allied works have been expedited on the ground after the geotechnical investigation, survey work and the work involving relocation of existing facilities had been completed. Besides, 80 per cent of the approvals for the structural and 75 per cent of the MEP designs have also been granted so far. The first floor structure work on the multi-level car parking had been done following which the second floor slab construction and ramp work had also been completed. While the east side underground tank work has been completed, the detailed PHOTOS: ASHWANI DHIMAN Ludhiana, June 26 On the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Khanna Police organised a ‘Walk-and-Run’ marathon on Wednesday. The event was led by SSP Amneet Kondal and witnessed participation from over 200 individuals, including police officials, local NGOs, and civilians. The marathon aimed to raise awareness about drug abuse and encourage people to refrain from falling prey to drugs. The marathon commenced from Garhi Bridge under police station, Machhiwara Sahib, and concluded at Sanjha Ghar Restaurant. Following the event, SSP Amneet Kondal addressed the participants. She emphasised that the marathon was organised to sensitise people and gener- drug dependents, where they can call and receive any kind of assistance in getting treatment for leaving the drugs. She mentioned that this helpline will offer every support to them by ensuring treatment in nearby drug-de addiction/ OOAT centres. She also asked the SDMs/ health officials to make a list of the hotspot areas witnessing a large number of drug addicts. She emphasised the need for stage plays, dramas, skits, or Dragon ride removed from Jassian road. ASHWANI DHIMAN Construction work in progress at the Ludhiana railway station. design approval has been granted for the concourse, foot over bridge, through roof and cover over platforms following which the foundation work on these components has also been done. The officials said the terrace floor of Type-II A block and Type-II B block has been completed for construction of multi-storied quarters. Similarly, the fourth floor slab shuttering work was in progress for multi-storied quarters in Type-II C and D blocks. While column work was in progress for E block and slab work was underway for F block of Type-III multistoried quarters, the first floor slab work was in progress for Type-IV multistoried quarters. The terrace slab and mumty has been completed for the construction of rest house and hospital buildings with AAC block work on first floor underway.
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