31072024-LT-01.qxd 7/30/2024 11:46 PM Page 1 c m y b Ludhiana tribune 50 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS OPERATING WITHOUT PRINCIPAL ACTOR KHUSHI KAPOOR LIGHTS UP THE RAMP AKSHAY TYAGI ON SPEED DIAL LISTS OF INDIAN CELEBRITIES Such vacancies are hampering realisation of state govt’s objective to improve quality of education. P2 Her excitement was palpable as she walked the ramp for the first time at India Couture Week 2024. P4 Fashion stylist Akshay Tyagi, after all, has been the creative force behind the most dapper B-town biggies. P4 » » » FORECAST GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 37°C | MIN 30°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.17 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:42 AM WEDNESDAY | 31 JULY 2024 | LUDHIANA ILLEGAL MINING AT AKUWAL VILLAGE Joint team formed, to conduct raids at odd hours at sites THE TRIBUNE IMPACT GUILTY NOT TO BE SPARED Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 30 After The Tribune carried a report in these columns, ‘Sand mining goes unabated at Akuwal village, plaint sent to CM’, the district administration, Ludhiana, taking cognisance of the news item formed a joint team to investigate sand mining and to bring workers of sand mafia to the task. This joint team will primarily ensure that no sand mining should takes place and it would also submit a report within two days. A copy of the orders issued by Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Major Amit Sareen, which is available with The Tribune, state: “illegal sand mining is reportedly going on at Akuwal village in Sidhwan Bet, Ludhiana, and a FIR in this regard has also been registered by the Ludhiana rural police against unidentified persons. A special joint team has been formed comprising heads of various departments, including Revenue, Ludhiana rural Wife ends her life, man booked for dowry death Ludhiana, July 30 Fed up with her husband’s harassment for dowry, a woman, mother of a fivemonth-old child, ended her life by swallowing poison. The Sadar police yesterday registered a case against the man on the charge of dowry death. She has been identified as Simarpreet Kaur (27). Her husband, Upinder Singh, is a resident of Manakwal village. Her father, Hardeep Singh, said he is a resident of Amritsar and at present doing business in Kashmir. His daughter got married to Upinder in February 2023. who has a chicken shop near Cheema Chowk. Since the wedding, the woman was beaten up for dowry, he said. A few days ago, Upinder had a quarrel with his daughter as the former had asked the deceased to bring Rs 5 lakh dowry and when she refused, she was beaten up badly. After medical examination, it was found that she had suffered severe injuries. On Sunday, he again had a fight with her, after which she ended her life, he said. — TNS ❝Illegal mining is totally banned during the An illegal mining site at Akuwal village. FILE police and Mining. Confirming this development here on Tuesday, the ADC, who is also a nodal officer, mining, Ludhiana, said: “Illegal mining is totally banned during the monsoon season and anyone resorting to the practice will not be spared.” “To check the illegal practice, I have formed a special joint team comprising SDM, Jagraon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ludhiana Rural, XEN, drainage, and tehsildar. The officers will monsoon season and anyone resorting to the practice will not be spared. ❞ — Major Amit Sareen, ADC conduct late night and early morning checkings at affected mining sites in Akuwal village and would ensure immediate action if the sand mafia resort to the practice”. Sareen said the joint team would also ensure identification of the suspects, if any, who had indulged in illegal mining at Akuwal village and their names would be added to the already registered FIR against the unidentified persons by the Ludhiana rural police. “Let the report from the newly formed joint team come as the team was tasked to submit a report within two days and on the basis of the report, the administration would take further action. We will not allow anyone to exploit natural resources as the team would now pay surprise visits to affected mining sites to catch the suspects. I may also conduct surprise checking of mining sites anytime, “asserted Sareen. Meanwhile, the ADC claimed that sand mining khud at Akuwal village was legal but due to the monsoon season, mining had been banned for three months in the entire state, including Akuwal. Notably, Jora Singh, a resident of Gorsian Khan Mohammad village, had also sent a complaint to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and he even mentioned the names of men of the sand mafia with exact Google location of the illegal mining site. He had also captured the poclain and tractortrailers excavating sand from the banks of the Sutlej at Akuwal village. Minor bike theft suspect alleges torture, police deny allegations Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 30 A 17-year-old boy caught in a vehicle theft case accused officials from the Division Number 8 police station of physically torturing him. His family had also filed a complaint on Monday with the National Human Rights Commission and the E-Baal Nidan portal. The complainant, the father of the boy from Rishi Nagar, alleged that on Friday evening, his son had gone with his friend to Rakh Bagh for shooting reels for social media but did not return. Later, his son’s friend said the police rounded up his son. They were in civvies when they picked up the boy. The complainant said: “The police officials thrashed my son in police custody for the whole night and on Saturday morning, they called us and asked to bring him back home. BOY ALLOWED TO GO IN 10 MINUTES: COP ACP, Civil Lines, Jatin Bansal, while denying allegations of the boy’s family that he was kept at the police station for the whole night and was tortured said he was allowed to go home within 10 minutes from the police station and not kept in custody for the whole night. When he reached the police station, he found the victim crying with injury marks on his body. Initially they could not go for medical examination because of threats issued by police officials. However, on Sunday, they got medical check-up done at the Civil Hospital.” The ACP Civil Lines, Jatin , Bansal, said since the motorcycle the boy was having had a suspicious number, he was taken to the police station for verification. Within 10 minutes, he was released from the police station and his parents were told that they have to bring him to the police station for investigation. On Monday, when the Transport Depart- ment confirmed that the bike’s registration number was fake, the vehicle was found to be stolen on July 10 from the Bindraban road. Afterwards, the police had been conducting raids to nab the boy in the theft case. He was not found at his home. Once he is nabbed only then he can reveal why he stole the bike and then put a fake registration number plate on it, the ACP said. Bansal while denying allegations of the boy’s family that he was kept at the police station for the whole night and was tortured said he was allowed to go home within 10 minutes from the police station and not kept in custody for the whole night. Dyeing unit fined ~6.42 cr for discharging untreatedwater into sewerage for over 15 yrs Shivani Bhakoo Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 30 A dyeing unit will pay the price for polluting the MC’s sewerage with untreated water for 20 years. Taking strict action against the unit at Industrial Area A, Extension B-3, Sumit Net Fab, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has issued a fine of Rs 6.42 crore. According to PPCB Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-1, Ludhiana, a penalty of Rs 6.42 crore has been imposed on the unit for its polluting activities over 15 years. The department is yet to fine the unit for another five years. The order came into effect on July 24 and the proprietor has to deposit the fine within 15 days. The officials concerned said the fine for the remaining five years would amount to to the departments to visit the places concerned and then compile a report and if any mishap occurs afterwards, then the department concerned will be responsible for the same. Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 30 A safety survey of all flyovers, bridges and elevated roads in the district will be done. The development came after the overbridge near the railway station developed a crack and it encompasses importance keeping in view the ongoing rainy season. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has ordered the safety survey. The departments concerned have been given one week’s time to complete the survey and submit the report with the DC. The departments that Depts given one week’s time to finish task, submit reports The decision was taken after the overbridge near the Ludhiana railway station developed a crack. PHOTO: ASHWANI DHIMAN have been told to compile survey reports include National Highways Authority of India, Munic- ipal Corporation, Public Works Department and Irrigation Department. Orders have been issued Besides, the district administration will also be inspecting and assessing shortcomings in the Ferozepur road elevated road project. Rainwater recharge wells have been made under the elevated c m y b over Rs 2 crore. The unit had been operational since 2004. A PPCB official, wishing not to be quoted, said the unit’s unethical practices would not have been possible without the connivance of department officials. The department had received numerous com- plaints against the unit, but decided to turn a blind eye, the official added. A complaint was also lodged with environmentalist and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal. A team from the department had visited the unit in 2019 but no action was tak- ‘Feedback Auto-rickshaw’ launched in Atam Nagar segment 4 weeks on, woman booked for abetting spouse’s suicide Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 30 Four weeks after a man died by suicide by consuming some poisonous substance and his body was found in his car in Khanna, the Khanna police registered a case on the charge of abetment to suicide against his wife, identified as Sonika Sharma, a resident of Kanpur, UP The deceased . was identified as Gaurav Sharma of Ghaziabad, UP . The deceased’s father, Yogesh Sharma, told the police that on July 2 his son left home in his Honda City Ludhiana, July 30 In a bid to get feedback from residents and for redressal of complaints at the earliest, Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu launched ‘Feedback Auto-rickshaw’ in his constituency. While launching the ‘feedback auto-rickshaw’ outside his office near the Gill Road canal bridge, Sidhu said the initiative had been taken to ensure that the voices of the people were heard and problems being faced by residents should be resolved at the earliest. The MLA said the dedicated auto-rickshaw would travel across the constituency and provide a convenient medium for residents to share their concerns and suggestions. The vehicle is equipped with two locked boxes in which the residents can anonymously submit their suggestions/complaints or feedback. He said only he had keys of the boxes and he would read the feedback/complaints submitted by the residents. They could submit complaints/suggestions regarding any issue being faced by them in their area or corruption, etc. Safety survey of flyovers, bridges to be done in dist Manav Mander Contaminated water bodies in the Buddha Nullah’s catchment area pose a serious health hazard. FILE en. The team revisited in 2024 and found the unit was releasing untreated water into the sewerage. The issue is serious as crores of rupees have already been spent on cleaning the Buddha Nullah, but to no avail. Social organisations, environmentalists and government departments have been trying to address the issue but there has been no positive outcome. The dyeing industry is held largely responsible for polluting the sewerage, untreated water from which enters the nullah. Industrialists have their own stand on the issue, claiming that domestic and dairy units are equally responsible for the pollution. The contaminated water bodies in the nullah’s catchment area pose a serious health hazard. road but these are filled with garbage. Instead of falling in the wells, the rainwater is falling outside, on the road. It is causing inconvenience to commuters and also leading to waterlogging on road. On the elevated road, there are over 30 recharge wells but none is working. As a result, the rainwater from pipes on the elevated road falls directly on road, instead of going to recharge wells. A small spell of rain results in trouble for motorists passing under the elevated road as water spills on them from a height of 15-20 m. car without telling anyone. On July 3, he received a phone call and the caller told him that Gaurav Sharma was lying unconscious in a car near Khanna as he seemed to have consumed poison. Though people took him to the Civil Hospital in Khanna, he breathed his last during treatment. “I took the body of my son from the hospital and performed his last rites on July 5. Before my son ended his life, he had typed a message from his mobile number and sent on my phone number in Hindi. He stated that I am writing in full consciousness that I am upset with my wife Sonika as she has been forcing me to shift my parents to an old age home. I cannot bear any more mental harassment at her hands. I am sending the Google location of the car,” the victim’s father said. Investigating officer SI Gurmeet Singh said after registering a case against the deceased’s wife, further investigation was launched in the matter. — TNS