14092024-JTR-01.qxd 9/13/2024 10:33 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune ODISHA, JHARKHAND ENTER QUARTERFINALS Six matches of the league round played on the fifth day of Men Nat’l Hockey Championship P2 » ON HINDI DIWAS, CELEBS TALK ABOUT FAVOURITE WORK OF LITERATURE “One must-read book in Hindi literature is GodaanbyMunshiPremchand.It’satimeless masterpiece,” Anupama Solanki. P4 » SHWETA SAYS AS AN ACTRESS, SHE WANTS TO BE AS VERSATILE AS THE ALOO! “I consider acting as a spiritual process where you have to be in the present,” says Shweta Tripathi, known for her role in Mirzapur 3.P4 » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 35°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 35°C | MIN 26°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.34 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:11 AM SATURDAY | 14 SEPTEMBER 2024| JALANDHAR British-era Civil Surgeon office to be demolished next week Women panel member meets doctors treating rape victim Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 13 National Women Commission of India member Delina Khongdup today visited the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, and met the victim and the family of the alleged rape case reported recently. She gathered information about the incident from senior police officers, including the Jalandhar Police Commissioner. She also met doctors of the Civil Hospital. After this, Delina also met the BJP Mahila Morcha team and student Sangharsh Morcha members as well as young leaders of the Dalit community. Speaking on the alleged rape, Delina said the condition of the girl is getting better day by day. She would soon recover and go to her home. On the incident, Delina said the report of the girl’s sample test was yet awaited. Any decision could be reached only after that. The member said looking at the current situation, the girl’s treatment needed to be the first priority. A girl, resident of Jalandhar and employed at the postal department at Nawanshahr, had gone missing on September 3 and traced to Delhi on September 4 after which she was brought back to Jalandhar on September 6. Her mother had alleged she was drugged and raped after which a 24 year old Jalandhar youth was booked on illegal confinement and rape charges and arrested. 20 old trees to make way for ~33 crore 100-bedded Critical Care Unit Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Congress holds protest against the poor amenities outside the MC office in Jalandhar on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Cong leaders lock MC offices over ‘poor’ amenities Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 13 Alleging poor civic amenities in the city, Congress leaders, including DCC urban chief Rajinder Beri, Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry and former councillors, locked various offices within the compound of Municipal Corporation Jalandhar, and lodged a protest today. During the protest, the Congress leaders locked the room of officers, including that of Additional Commissioner Amarjit Bains. Minor altercation occurred and arguments were exchanged with MC employees which led to furore in the MC office building for sometime but got sort- ed out by the police. The protest started with Congress leaders and workers flashing placards bearing pictures of the sewage leak problem, waterlogging, nonfunctional streetlights and bad quality drinking water. They raised slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party for not paying two hoots to the problems of the residents. The Congress leaders raked up the issue of glaring problems in localities of Basti areas, Gandhi camp and other colonies. The Congress leaders said much was promised by AAP during the Jalandhar Lok Sabha election and Jalandhar West bypoll but the situation has not improved at all. Jalandhar, September 13 The decks are finally cleared for the construction of a Rs 33 crore Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the place where the Civil Surgeon’s office stands. To construct the building, over 20 old trees at the office are being axed. The trees are as old as 75 to 80 years. There had been a stand off between the Civil Surgeon’s office staff and hospital administration over the demolition of the office in Jalandhar for the past six months. As many as 90 staff members of the office, including the Civil Surgeon, along with district records dating back to 1940s, have been shifted to offices at six different offices, spare rooms and dilapidated buildings to make do until the new CS office comes up. The process to axe the trees has also begun, these include peepal, amaltas, mango, firangipani and other trees which beautify the office premises. The trees are being axed and around 10 have been felled. Officials said these trunks would be auctioned through the Forest Department. The PWD and Forest Department have been tasked with planting 100 saplings in their place. They said the old CS office building was set to be demolished next week. The CS office building was constructed in 1940s in the British era and Dr Shamsher Singh Sandhu was the first Civil Surgeon. The 100-bedded, threestoreyed new Critical Care Unit is a Rs 33 crore project under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. It will have a ground floor spanning 17,000 square feet. It will house isolation rooms, isolation wards, blood bank, MCH block, Labour Delivery Recovery and High Dependency Unit facilities, two OTs, ICU, X-ray, nursing and doctor rooms. It is after six months of dharnas and protests by the staff that the decks were cleared to shift the office – after a marathon meeting on August 29. Officials said the critical care unit would be ready in 12 to 15 months. The erstwhile Civil Surgeon’s office houses the National Health Mission, statistical branch (handles birth and death records), health branch, reimbursement branch, establishment branch, accounts branch, food branch, epidemiologist, malaria branch and dental branch. Sandeep Verma, XEN, PWD said, “The work to axe trees has begun and the building will be demolished. The critical care unit is expected to be The Civil Surgeon office; and (below) trees have been felled to build CCU in Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH CENTRE-BACKED PROJECT ❝ We are thankful to employees for agreeing to vacate the building. Under the project, the Centre will provide the cost of construction, equipment and human resource funding for five years. ❞ Dr Jyoti Sharma, CIVIL SURGEON ready in 12 to 15 months.” Staff shifted to offices The staff have now been shifted to the PPE unit, dilapidated old-age home, 3rd Kids’ day care centre Doctors continue strike, patients suffer at courts complex Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 13 Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeevan, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and the Administrative Judge, Sessions Division, inaugurated a kids’ day care centre at New Court Complex on Friday. She said the purpose of kids’ day care centre was to keep the children away from court proceedings so that there was no adverse impact on their upbringing. Apart from this, soft toys, colourful tables, painting boxes, beds for sleeping and alphabet letters are provided for children at this centre. District and Sessions Judgecum-Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Nawanshahr, Priya Sood, SSP Dr Mehtab Singh, Additional District and Sessions Judge-1 Karunesh Kumar, Additional District and Sessions Judge-II Harish Anand, CJM-cum-Secretary District Legal Services Authority Dr Amandeep, Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aparajita Joshi were present.— TNS Jalandhar, September 13 The OPD services remained suspended for the entire day for the second consecutive day at all public health centres in the district. Doctors at the Civil Hospital, CHCs and sub-divisional hospitals in Jalandhar struck work on the call given by the PCMS Association over staff security and shortage of doctors. The Civil Hospital wore a deserted look. However, the emergency ward remained busy. Security personnel at the Civil Hospital bolted all other doors and allowed only the emergency entrance to remain open. However, attendants of a patient, who sustained injury after iron bars (construction material) fell on his head, said they were asked to shift the patient elsewhere. While the 500-bedded hospital is the largest Civil Hospital in the state, posters outside the emergency, bearing words “Doctors are on strike” and “OPD is closed” and PCMSA pamphlets titled “Why are government doctors on strike?”, detailing the causes of the strike, were pasted on the walls. The strike has also caused inconvenience for those coming to get birth and death certificates, etc. In the ongoing phased dharna, doctors’ key demands include security for doctors, restoring promotions, addressing staff shortage, among others. Doctors of the PCMS Association said they were in continued talks with the government on the issue, however, the lack of government response had forced them to continue the dharna. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 13 The PUDA Complex in Urban Estate, Phase-II, known for housing a variety of cafes, eateries and shops, has become a source of frustration for traders and visitors alike due to the deteriorating road conditions and overflowing sewer system. Business owners are facing inconvenience as the roads remain inundated with dirty sewage water, coupled with a foul smell that pervades the area, affecting both foot traffic and overall business operations. For months, the oncebustling complex is losing its charm now due to the poor state of infrastructure. The road leading to the complex is not only riddled with potholes, but has also become an eyesore due to stagnant and dirty water that has accumulated from the over- The overflowed sewage at Urban Estate Phase II, PUDA Complex, in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH flowing sewage. Despite repeated requests from business owners and shopkeepers to the local authorities to address the problem, the situation continues to worsen, driving customers away. “The road is in terrible shape and the sewer water flooding the area, making it unbearable for us and our customers. The stench is overwhelming and it’s embarrassing to invite patrons to this mess,” com- plained a local café owner, who relies on daily foot traffic for business. He said they got hundreds of visitors each day, but the number was declining due to the state of the complex. “People don’t want to wade c m y b through dirty water or endure the foul smell just to have a meal or shop”, he added. Traders said the condition of the road was not just a matter of discomfort, but had also raised serious safety concerns. “Visitors, including children and elderly persons, are seen navigating the flooded and uneven road with great difficulty. We are particularly concerned about the potential for accidents as the waterlogged road conceals large potholes, which pose a risk”, they added. They further said they recently wrote a letter to the MC Commissioner, demanding repair of the road and cleaning of sewerage because they were witnessing a sharp decline in their sales as customers prefer to avoid the area altogether. “We depend on customers visiting daily, but the smell and road conditions are driving them away soon. This has hurt our business tremendously,” said another trader, who runs an ice-cream shop in the complex. Meanwhile, MC officials claimed that they would direct the department to visit the site and do the needful. tains, non-functional fans and dirty windows. The new CS office, planned to be constructed near the mortuary, will be a 11,200 square feet multi-storeyed space. DC urges farmers to shun farm fires Jalandhar, September 13 To curb the rising cases of stubble burning, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal visited three villages — Chak Kalan, Kang Sabu, and Sidhwan — in Nakodar on Friday, urging farmers to actively participate in environmental protection. Interacting with farmers at these hotspots, Aggarwal said the government was committed to assisting farmers in adopting sustainable practices. Traders in Urban Estate Ph-II grapple with choked drains Avneet Kaur floor of the de-addiction centre, Red Cross Unit and ayurvedic/homeopathic dispensary offices. Some staff members complained that the rooms are without cur- The DC highlighted the availability of modern farming machinery, seeds, advanced technologies, weather forecast and guidance on pesticide use provided by the government to help farmers manage crop residue without burning. He re-announced the “Vatavaran de Rakhe” award. Panchayats with zero stubble burning will get development work worth Rs 1 lakh, while individual farmers will be recognised at the district-level R-Day event.— TNS 2 arrested for theft, 3 bikes recovered Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 13 The police arrested two persons for theft and recovered three stolen motorcycles without number plates today. The accused have been identified as Deepak Kumar and Sonu. Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma said Sahil from Jaswant Nagar Garha, Jalandhar, had filed a complaint that he had parked his motorcycle outside a shop at street number 7, Avtar Nagar, Jalandhar, on July 14 at 7:30 am. When the complainant came out at 8:30 am, he found that the motorcycle was missing as it was stolen by an unknown person. A case under Sections 303(1) and 317(2) of the BNS was registered at Police Station Bhargo Camp. The Commissioner of Police said during the investigation, the police arrested the accused Deepak Verma of Kaji Mohalla and recovered the stolen motorcycle. He said during investigation, Verma said he had purchased this motorcycle from his relative Sonu, alias Kalu, from Mohalla Kalia Colony, Phase 1, upon which Sonu was arrested too. The Commissioner of Police said the police had recovered three motorcycles from the accused. He said four cases were already pending against Sonu whereas no criminal background of Deepak Verma has been traced so far. Swapan Sharma said further investigation into the case was going on and details would be shared later.