29072024-JTR-01.qxd 7/28/2024 10:28 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune BRINGING BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES IN DRIVERS A MUST MINISTER, MLA FACEOFF OVER DIARRHOEA OUTBREAK SINGER SHREYA GHOSHAL PRAISES CELINE DION Road safety force is a good step but people also need to cooperate and observe norms, say residents. P2 Civic body teams swung into action to plug the leak in Kapurthala which had led to diarrhoea outbreak. P3 Shreya shared her admiration for Canadian singer’s performance at the opening ceremony of Olympics. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 34°C | MIN 30°C SUNSET MONDAY 7.18 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 5:40 AM MONDAY | 29 JULY 2024 | JALANDHAR INBRIEF BOUTIQUE OWNER ATTACKED, LOOTED Phagwara: On a complaint by boutique owner Md Alam of Satnampura here, the police have registered a case against Kyam, his son Javed and nephew Sabir on the charges of attacking and injuring the complainant before snatching his scooter, phone, Rs 48,000 and gold chain from him. The victim, admitted to the Civil Hospital, told the police that he went to collect Rs 1.10 lakh but Kyam attacked him with scissors and snatched everything. OC MAN HELD WITH INTOXICANT TABLETS Phagwara: The Bilga police have arrested a drug peddler on the charge of selling intoxicant tablets. Investigating officer Satpal said 65 tablets were seized from the possession of the accused Hardeep Singh, alias Deepa, a resident of Mehsam Pur village. A case under Section 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against him. OC VILLAGER DIES BY SUICIDE Phagwara: A Shahkot villager died by suicide on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Kalu, a resident of village Kotla Suraj Mall. Jaswinder Kaur, mother of the deceased, told the police that her son ended his life. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem. OC VILLAGER SHOT AT, INJURED Phagwara: Two armed assailants shot at and seriously injured a person near village Dugganon on Saturday evening. The Injured Ravi Kumar of village Jagpalpur received injuries in his left leg. He was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti rushed to the Civil Hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured. The victim was going to pay obeisance at a nearby shrine. The police are investigating the matter. OC FOUR BUFFALOES FOUND STOLEN Phagwara: Four buffaloes were found stolen from the fields in village SunrraRajputan near Phagwara on Saturday night. Jaswinder Singh of Hadiabad (Phagwara) told the police that he left his buffaloes in the fields but found all four buffaloes stolen. The police have registered a case. OC 2 held, 16 booked for assault Phagwara, July 28 The police have arrested two persons and booked 16 others, including two women for assaulting a Mehat Pur resident. The arrested accused had been identified as Pawan Kumar Bhagat and Kamajit, alias Pamma, of Mehsam Pur village. Mangat Ram of Vafa Mohalla, Mehat Pur, complained to the police that the accused barged into his house and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons and seriously injured him. A case under Sections 333 (house trespass), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS had been registered. OC Irked over long power outages, city residents hold protests, block roads Avneet Kaur tribune news service Jalandhar, July 28 Unscheduled long power cuts have become a daily routine for residents in several localities, leading to widespread protests. The residents say that despite multiple complaints to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials and calls to 1912 helpline, the power supply issue has remained unresolved. The most-affected areas included Basti Guzan, Pakka Bagh, Har Gobind Nagar, Pratappura and areas near Jyoti Chowk. Residents say the frequent power cuts exceeding 10 hours in the stifling heat have disrupted daily activities and children’s study. In response to a nearly 20hour power outage on Saturday, residents, belonging to different localities near Jyoti Chowk, blocked the main road in protest against the PSPCL and the government. Led by former councillor Sherry Chadha, the demonstrators criticised the PSPCL officials for repeatedly giving false assurances about restoring power within an hour or two on the calls. As the protest intensified, SHO, Division Number 4, Residents of Jyoti Chowk, Jalandhar, stage a dharna against power cuts on Saturday night. TRIBUNE PHOTO UNSCHEDULED CUTS LEAVE PEOPLE FUMING ■ In protest against nearly 20-hour power outage, residents, living in different localities near Jyoti Chowk, blocked the main road. ■ Another protest erupted in Pratappura where residents blocked the Jalandhar-Nakodar highway for an hour on Saturday evening ■ In Pratappura, power cuts have persisted for over Hardev Singh arrived at the scene to pacify the protesters. He arranged a conversation between the residents eight hours due to damaged transformers, forcing residents to block the highway ■ Pakka Bagh faced long power cuts, while Basti Guzan experienced an 18-hour outage from Friday morning. The Model House area also suffered from intermittent power supply issues, forcing residents to take to the streets. and the PSPCL officials, who promised to restore power swiftly. Residents expressed anger, questioning the government’s promise of free electricity amid prolonged outages. They also highlighted Thieves target e-rickshaw showroom, decamp with 12 batteries and cash issues such as the erratic water supply. A similar protest erupted in Pratappura where residents blocked the Jalandhar-Nakodar highway for an hour on Saturday evening. The police intervened to clear the highway, but, by the time the blockage was lifted, it caused a five kilometre jam, forcing vehicles to take routes through village roads. In Pratappura, power cuts have persisted for over eight hours due to damaged transformers. Despite over a 100 complaints, the issues remained unresolved, forcing residents to block the highway. Similarly, Pakka Bagh faced power cuts from 10 am on Saturday to late night, while Basti Guzan experienced an 18-hour outage from Friday morning. The Model House area also suffered from intermittent power supply issues, forcing residents to take to the streets. Meanwhile, the PSPCL officials attributed the delay in repair work to a shortage of linesmen and claimed that rain-related faults in transformers and feeders had exacerbated the situation. They assured that the staff were assigned to repair complaints. Shopkeepers insecure under AAP rule: Rinku Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 28 A day after a broad daylight robbery at a local medical store, another theft has been reported, raising serious questions about the law-andorder situation in the city. Four thieves targeted an erickshaw showroom based at Transport Nagar in the wee hours on Sunday, taking away 12 batteries amounting to Rs 1.20 lakh and some cash. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Police Division Number 8. According to Rohit Arora, owner of the showroom, the thieves arrived in an autorickshaw around 3 am and broke the shutter of the showroom to gain entry. Arora, who closed his showroom at 9 pm the previous night, discovered the burglary when he reached the showroom. He found the office in disarray and immediately viewed the CCTV footages which revealed that four thieves came in an auto around 3 am, broke the shutter and took away 12 batteries. Each bat- The burglary at an e-rickshaw showroom at Transport Nagar is recorded in a CCTV camera. tery is worth Rs 10,000”, said Arora. In addition to the batteries, the thieves also made off with Rs 7,000 that was kept in the office. Upon discovering the theft, Arora promptly reported the incident to the police control room. A police team arrived at the scene to conduct an inspection and gather evidence. As per police officials, they are investigating the case and reviewing the CCTV footages to identify and apprehend the culprits. Meanwhile, the rising incidents of robberies and thefts have raised concerns among local business owners about the security of their premises, prompting calls for increased police patrols and improved security measures in the area. Jalandhar, July 28 After the Saturday’s robbery incident at Imperial Medical Hall, former MP Sushil Rinku alleged that complete lawlessness was prevailing under the rule of the Aam Aadmi Party in the state. He said while shopkeepers, traders and residents had become insecure, robbers and other anti-social elements had become fearless. Rinku had gone to the spot to meet the affected shopkeeper Manjeet Ahuja. He was accompanied by BJP district general secretary Ashok Sarin Hikki, BJP Trade Cell District Convener Bharat Kakaria, BJP Medical Cell Co-Convener and Jalandhar Chemist Shop Association President Sanjay Sehgal and youth leader Karan Pathak. “This incident has exposed the government’s security arrangements for the people. The government has completely failed in maintaining law and order. Shopkeepers cannot work fearlessly even in the main square of the city. An open manhole at Pratap Bagh, Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Open manholes pose a threat to commuters’ safety Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 28 Open manholes at various locations in the city are posing a threat to commuters. Passersby are more at a high risk of facing accidents while walking on roads. The Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities have failed to take notice of the serious threat. Some of the damaged manholes can be seen on the busiest roads of the city such as Pratap Bagh and near railway station. While other damaged manholes are located at Transport Nagar and Cool Road. On Ladowali Road near the PUDA Complex, manhole covers are not placed properly, protruding above the ground level and creating inconvenience to commuters. The risk escalates during rainfall when submerged manholes become nearly invisible, endangering pedestrians and drivers alike. City resident Pankaj Kumar voiced his concerns, asking the civic authorities to act promptly. “With the monsoon season ongoing, the authorities must address these issues promptly to prevent serious accidents”, he added. School of Happiness for Chabbewal: MP Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, July 28 MP Rajkumar Chabbewal announced a School of Happiness in Chabbewal. To be built at a cost of Rs 1.19 crore, the school would transform the lives of students and redefine the concept of education, he said. With a focus on holistic development, the school would provide a comprehensive education that went beyond mere academics. The curriculum would include innovative programmes and activities aimed at fostering emotional intelligence, creativity and critical thinking. “We want to create a generation of happy, confident and compassionate individuals who can make a positive Rajkumar Chabbewal impact in the world,” said Chabbewal. “The School of Happiness is a dream come true, and I am committed to making it a reality,” he said. The school’s infrastructure would be the state-of-the-art with modern classrooms, advanced technology and a library that would be a treasure trove of knowledge. The campus would also have sports facilities, art studios and a counseling centre. MLA blames MC Commissioner for diarrhoea outbreak Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 28 The clogged sewers, old underground sewage pipes and piling up of garbage are the reasons for the outbreak of diarrhoea in Kapurthala. However, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh blamed the MC Commissioner for the issue. In a statement released today, Rana Gurjit Singh stated, “I had asked for the pur- chase of super-suction machines for cleaning the sewerage system, but the corporation has not paid any heed to my advice due to which the people of the city are suffering. Had the corporation taken timely steps, things would not have been that worse,” he said. He added that diarrhoea cases had been reported from Mehndi Chowk, Mehtabgarh, Bakarkhana Chowk and Sundarnagar areas where out of fear of the diarrhoea outbreak, the district administration had even stopped the drinking water supply through underground pipes. Kapurthala MC Commissioner Anupam Kler said, “We have identified three illegal connections where water pipes are intersecting with sewage pipes due to which contamination is being caused. Due to the staff strike, the garbage was not being lifted. But it has c m y b been addressed. A place is also being identified with the help of the DC, Kapurthala, as a dedicated site for garbage from the city. We didn’t have such a site. The sewage pipelines are at least over 50-year old and we have to take that into consideration.” Speaking on Rana’s allegations that despite tenders, the sewerage cleaning work had not been done, Kler said, “There was no negligence on my part. This is politics. The process was delayed due to the code of conduct. We have issued the work order. The cleaning is also on. Supersuction machines are working regularly. Contractors were also active in Jalandhar and the work has started in Kapurthala too. Our teams are also going house to house and teams from Chandigarh, including two Chief Engineers, are working to fix the problems.” Garbage and rainwater accumulated on a Jalandhar road.